Interesting facts about the royal family of England. What do children from the royal families of the world look like and how do they live? Prince Philip and Prince Harry used racial slurs
The institution of monarchy has been the most important phenomenon in British social life since the time of the first English king, William the Conqueror, to the present day. What is this - a relic of the past or a symbol of national unity that has more than once united the British in difficult times?..
In our article we tried to give a brief historical background about the ruling dynasty of Windsor and the current reigning monarch - Queen Elizabeth II of England.
You will be able to get acquainted with the regional information necessary for everyone who has seriously decided - the biography of the Queen of Great Britain, interesting facts and even curiosities from the life of the royal family - as well as get acquainted with the original and learn the translation of the national anthem of the British Empire. Let's learn English like royalty!
Royal family name
The surname Windsor arose relatively recently. During the First World War, Elizabeth's future grandfather King George V (cousin of both the Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the last German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm), who belonged to the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty (the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), defiantly out of patriotic feelings abandoned his German roots, adopting the surname Windsor [ˈwɪnzə] after the castle that was home to the royal family at the time.
Thus, the beginning of the Windsor surname should be considered 1917 - a fairly young age for a European monarchical dynasty.
Until 1917, members of the royal family (British royals) did not have surnames: they were replaced by the name of the royal house and the name of the lands owned by the dynasty. Therefore, kings and queens signed only with the name - .
After the marriage of Princess Elizabeth Windsor to Prince Philip Mountbatten, it was decided that the heir to the throne would bear the surname Windsor, and descendants without the right to the throne would be called Mountbatten-Windsor.
Other royals have the right to choose their own surname: in addition to the Windsor surname, there are many others in the royal family tree (the surname is often replaced by the title).
Common forms of addressing members of the royal family:
HM - His (Her) Majesty |
His (Her) Majesty |
address to the king or queen |
|
Prince and Princess |
HRH - His (Her) Royal Highness |
His (Her) Royal Highness |
address to a prince or princess |
Duke and Duchess |
His (Her) Lordship |
address to the Duke or Duchess |
|
Earl and Countess, |
The Rt Hon - The Right Honourable |
Hon. |
address to the Count and Countess, Viscount and Viscountess |
Young heir to the throne
Little Lilipeth, as she was later called in the family, was born on April 21, 1926 in the family of a prince belonging to one of the most ancient and proud monarchies in Europe. And, what is especially important, it is a ruling one, albeit a constitutional one (the monarch governs his state only formally, since the laws are still passed by the parliament elected by the people).
However, the golden-haired girl’s chances of ruling the state were not so great: her father Albert (Bertie) Windsor, Duke of York, was not the heir to the throne.
But chance intervened: the young princess was not yet ten when a romantic and scandalous story took place in the British Kingdom.
In 1936, Albert’s elder brother Edward, by that time already King Edward VIII, decided to marry the American Bessie Wallis Simpson, a divorced woman (twice!), and also suspected of having connections with the military intelligence of Nazi Germany.
As the head of the Church of England, the king could not have demonstrated to his subjects a more flagrant example of a violation of the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”: to marry a divorced person (“divorced”), and even twice, and even a member of the royal family (“royal family”), was equated with adultery.
Everyone and everyone was against the loving couple: the Archbishop of Canterbury, government ministers, and the British people. The king made a choice: after reigning for less than a year, Edward VIII abdicated (“abdicated”) on his own behalf and on behalf of his descendants (“descendants”), declaring the following in a speech on national radio:
And Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor - Bertie, Elizabeth's father - ascended the throne, taking the name George VI and making the eldest of his two daughters heir to the imperial throne.
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
When World War II began (1 September 1939), Princess Elizabeth was thirteen. London suffered from enemy bombing and the children of many residents of the capital were evacuated. But Elizabeth’s mother flatly refused to leave London:
In 1940, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth made her first appearance on BBC radio, addressing the children of evacuated towns:
In 1943, at the age of sixteen, the princess made her first public speech to soldiers of the Grenadier Guards, of which she had been a colonel for several months. After completing a driving and mechanics course, five months later the princess was promoted to junior officer (Junior Commander).
But despite the mother’s fears, the marriage turned out to be happy: after the wedding in 1947, according to tradition - in Westminster Abbey of London, the prince and princess - and then the king and queen - lived in peace and harmony for many years , celebrating silver, gold and diamond weddings.
- It is noteworthy that the princess bought fabric for her wedding dress using coupons - in the post-war period in Great Britain there were restrictions on the purchase of food, clothing, shoes, etc.; Out of solidarity with the people, the royal family adhered to the generally accepted card system.
The heir to the dynasty, Prince Charles, was born in 1948, and a few years later Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward were born.
Crown for the queen!
The coronation of the 25-year-old Elizabeth II as monarch of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon took place on June 2, 1953 (her father died a year earlier, in 1952).
The dress for the ceremony, like the Queen's wedding dress, was created by fashion designer Norman Hartnell. It was a work of art imbued with deep symbolism: the white silk of the robe was embroidered with floral motifs symbolizing the countries of the Commonwealth.
The luxurious royal dress featured: English Tudor rose, Scottish thistle [ˈθɪs(ə)l]), Welsh leek (leek), Irish clover (shamrock), Australian acacia (wattle [ˈwɒt(ə) l]), Canadian maple leaf (maple [ˈmeɪp(ə)l] leaf), New Zealand fern (fern), South African protea (protea), lotus flowers, symbolizing India and Ceylon, as well as the emblems of Pakistan - wheat ( wheat), cotton and jute.
For luck, the creator of the dress, secretly from the customer, placed a leaf of a four-leaf clover on it exactly where the queen's left hand should touch it.
The coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey was not much different from the traditional one, except that it was the first such ceremony to be shown on television.
The coronation was accompanied by magnificent celebrations in all countries of the Commonwealth, and in London, an official coronation luncheon was given in honor of the new queen, at which the chefs delighted the guests with “Coronation Chicken” - a dish created especially for this occasion.
- The royal family lives in Buckingham Palace: it has 775 rooms, served by more than 800 people, each of whom is traditionally sent a Christmas pudding by the Queen once a year.
- The monarchy "costs" the British people just over £36 million a year.
- The Queen's fortune is estimated at £300 million, which gives her the right to take only 257th place in the ranking of the richest people in Britain.
- The crown treasures do not belong to the queen - she only uses them by proxy, without the right to sell or give them away.
- The Queen was born at the end of April, but celebrates her birthday twice a year: the first time - in April with her family, the second, the so-called Queen's Official Birthday - on one of the Sundays in May or June, at the choice of the government .
Why at the beginning of summer? The official birthday of the monarch was traditionally celebrated with lush open-air festivities, so the choice of the exact date of the royal birthday party always depended on weather conditions - and at this time the weather in London is as dry and sunny as ever. - In 1981, during the Trooping the Color ceremony dedicated to the Queen's official birthday, while Elizabeth was riding her horse Burmese, six pistol shots were fired (as it later turned out, the attacker fired blank cartridges) . Without losing her presence of mind, the queen continued the ceremony, showing an example of restraint and composure in the face of danger.
- During her reign, the Queen answered more than 3.5 million letters and sent more than 175,000 telegrams to her subjects in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries.
- The queen's breakfast consists of muesli and oatmeal, yogurt and two types of marmalade - light and dark.
- Elizabeth II is a passionate lover of horses and dogs. Its purebred horses often win races, and its success in breeding new dog breeds is admirable. Officially, the Queen is the creator of the Dorgi and Fergi breeds, which were created by crossing the Corgi breed with other dog breeds.
How to address the queen
You can write to Her Majesty at the following address:
Her Majesty The Queen
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
If you wish to adhere to all the rules of etiquette when communicating in writing with the Queen, address your addressee Madam, and end your message with the following phrase:
However, you may well adhere to a free style of presentation: after all, it is known that the queen even understands, because she often has to “SMS” with her older grandchildren.
Elizabeth II bears many titles and honorary titles, including the seemingly “masculine” titles of Duke of Normandy and Lord of Maine. But the official website of the British monarchy, when communicating with the queen, advises at the beginning of the conversation to simply address her: Your Majesty ("Your Majesty"), and after that - Madam or Ma "am. By the way, it is becoming increasingly popular with the queen, do not miss your chance:
National anthem of the British Empire
Its origin dates back to the eighteenth century. Depending on the gender of the monarch - and there are 40 monarchs in the United Kingdom: 34 kings and 6 queens, including the current one - the anthem was called God Save The King or God Save The Queen. queen"). The authorship of the words and music has not been established.
God save the queen!
(free translation)
God save our merciful queen!
Long live our noble queen!
God save the queen!
Bless her with victories,
Happiness and glory
And long reign over us,
God save the queen!
With your chosen gifts
Shower her with Thy mercy,
May she reign for a long time.
May she protect our laws,
To always give us a reason
Sing with your heart and voice:
"God save the queen!"
There are many different variations of the British anthem: we have given only a short official version, but you can find expanded and modified versions in the English-language Wikipedia.
From the point of view of English grammar, the British anthem is interesting primarily for two reasons:
- The use of archaisms (the shortened version included only the obsolete form of the pronoun your - thy [ðʌɪ]).
- Widespread use of the subjunctive mood - the Present Subjunctive, the subjunctive mood of the present tense - which is formed using the infinitive of the semantic verb without the particle to and means wish:
God to save the Queen! God to bless you!
- Wherein:
The verb be remains unchanged regardless of person:
I will be
he, she, it be
we, you, they be - In other cases, compared to the indicative mood, verbs in the 3rd person have singular. there is no ending -s:
he/she/it makes s - The modal verb may is also used in wishes:
May the force be with you! - May the force be with you!
So, God save the Queen! Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her Other Kingdoms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Defender of the Faith.
A symbol of the English state, a mother of four children, a persistent and courageous person, a passionate animal lover and a woman pleasant in every way!
In contact with
Probably, you imagined that the most august persons could afford whatever they wanted, thanks not only to their unlimited power, but also to their inexhaustible wealth? Be quick to be disappointed: the Queen is only 257th on the list of the richest people in Great Britain - her fortune is $550 million.
2. Decree on the king fish
According to British law, any representative of one of the species of "royal fish" - whales, sturgeon or dolphins - caught in British territorial waters is automatically considered to belong to the royal family. This decree was issued by Edward II. 13th century and is still in effect, even though it has since been proven that dolphins are not fish.
3. Double birthday
Some people born shortly before or immediately after the New Year celebrate their birthday twice, but in general a person usually has one birthday. But the Queen has two of them - on April 21 she was born for real, and in May or June official celebrations are usually organized on the occasion of her birthday.
4. Long live the Queen!
Queen Elizabeth II is currently Britain's longest-serving ruler in history: her reign now stands at 64 years. Queen Victoria, who reigned before her, remained on the throne for 63 years and 216 days. Nowadays, it is difficult for a person not to lose his job even within a year, let alone over 60 years!
5. Smart guy
In 2001, Prince William entered the University of St. Andrews and graduated with honors in 2005. Among the heirs to the British throne, he had the highest academic achievement!
6. Another smart girl
Prince William is not the only member of the royal family to receive academic honours. His wife Kate Middleton also studied at the University of St. Andrews (where they met). Kate has a degree in art history, making her the first Crown bride with a university degree.
7. Progressive morals
It was only in 2013 that the UK moved away from the concept of male succession to the throne, thus declaring that any member of the royal family, regardless of gender, could inherit the throne. You may ask: how then did Elizabeth II ascend the throne? Elementary: her father had no sons.
8. Without a real last name
What is the Queen's surname? I think many would like to know. But in fact, this is not so important: once on the throne, a person can take almost any surname. Elizabeth II's father changed his surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor; Windsor later became Mountbatten-Windsor.
9. The house is full of servants
If you've ever seen Buckingham Palace up close, at least in a movie, you know that it is huge. It is located on an area of 77,000 square meters, has 775 rooms and about 800 workers to maintain its condition and the life of the royal family as normal. There are cooks, maids, butlers, security and even watchmakers!
10. Dads come and go, but the Queen remains.
The current Pope is already the sixth to be replaced in his post during the reign of the Queen. Maybe it will impress you even more if you know that there have been 266 Popes since 33 AD.
11. What is in my name for you?
Some people change their name because they don’t like the name they were given at birth, others because they associate it with something unpleasant. Members of the royal family also change their names - for a ceremonial reason: they need a new name to reign, and they can choose it. Queen Victoria was once Princess Alexandrina, King George was once Prince Albert, and so on.
12. Connections with America
It was recently discovered that although the United States declared independence from England in 1776, there is still a family connection between the United States and England: the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, is related to Founding Father George Washington.
dynasty to the House of Windsor.In the UK, there is no clear legal or formal definition of a member of the royal family; as a rule, members of the royal family are considered to be the monarch, the spouse of the monarch, the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children of the monarch, the male-line grandchildren of the monarch, the spouses and widowed spouses of the sons and grandsons of the monarch. Members of the British royal family bear the titles Their Royal Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses.
Historically, members of the British Royal Family have represented the monarch throughoutBritish Empire and held responsible and representative positions, today they perform ceremonial and social functions both in Great Britain , and abroad, and other than the monarch have no constitutional role in government affairs.
Members of the British Royal Family
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Consort Philip, Duke of Edinburgh .
- Charles, Prince of Wales and his second wifeCamilla, Duchess of Cornwall .
- prince William, Duke of Cambridge , son of Charles, and his wifeCatherine, Duchess of Cambridge
- Prince George of Cambridge
- princess Charlotte of Cambridge
- Prince Henry of Wales , more often called Prince Harry, second son of Charles.
- Prince Andrew, Duke of York , second son of Queen Elizabeth II
- Princess Beatrice of York , daughter of the Duke of York.
- Princess Eugenie of York , second daughter of the Duke of York.
- Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex , the Queen's third son and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
- James, Viscount Severn, son of Edward.
- Lady Louise Windsor, Edward's daughter.
- Princess Anne , the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II.
- Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester Birgitta, Duchess of Gloucester.
- Prince Edward, Duke of Kent , the Queen's cousin, and his wifeCatherine, Duchess of Kent Skye .
- Prince Michael of Kent , the Queen's cousin, and his wifeMarie Christina von Reibnitz, Princess of Kent .
- princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy , the Queen's cousin.
Family tree of the BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY
MODERN BRITISH ROYAL FAMILY
T.N. Stolnikova
Ishim, Russian Federation
Sociocultural competence is the basis of cultural literacy and determines the understanding of the national and cultural characteristics of lexical units and extralinguistic units of communication. Teaching a foreign language in many universities is based on the integration of a linguistic and cultural approach to the study of a foreign language with the constant study of background information and sociocultural realities.
Great Britain and the British have always shown the world their uniqueness, isolation and respect for their own history. That is why, when studying English, it is necessary to rely on the linguistic and regional studies of Great Britain. One of the most interesting topics in studying the sociocultural realities of this country is the topic “Modern British Royal Family”, since it is relevant in our time, and at the same time has deep historical roots. This article is a summary of the information studied about the British royal family. It contains general information about the members of the royal family, their titles and many other aspects of the lives of family members. In this article we look at the key members of the modern British royal family.
The English monarchy has always been based on the moral values of preserving the family, the ideals of the family, and the institution of the family.
British royal family ( English British Royal Family) - a group of close relatives monarch of Great Britain. In 1917, George V due to the war with Germany renounced all German titles for himself and his heirs and renamed Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty to the House of Windsor.
There is no formal definition of "member of the royal family." But it is known that traditionally members of the royal family include the monarch and the monarch's wife, the children of the monarch, the male-line grandchildren of the monarch, and the spouses of the sons and grandsons of the monarch. In terms of titles, members of the British royal family bear the titles Their Royal Majesty (HerorHisMajesty-HM) and Their Royal Highness (HerorHisHighness-HRH). Many family members are legally immune, both in the UK and abroad.
Today, members of the British royal family perform ceremonial and social functions in the UK (previously they held positions of leadership and responsibility), and have no constitutional role in government affairs (except for the Queen). The royal family's budget is made up of two aspects: government money and their personal wealth, which is limited. Parliament has controlled the monarch's finances since the 17th century.
The head of the modern royal family is ElizabethII (QueenElizabethII) (full title - by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and other lands and territories subject to her, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, Defender of the Faith). When the Queen was born on April 21, 1926, her grandfather, King George V, was on the throne. After the death of her grandfather, the queen's uncle became heir, but he abdicated the throne, so her father ascended the throne as King George VI.
As a child, the Queen studied art, music, history and law. The queen's first and later very famous radio appearance was made at the age of 14. In November 1947, the wedding of the young Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place. She ascended to the throne on the death of her father in 1952 and was crowned in Westminster Abbey in 1953.
The beginning of the reign of Elizabeth II was marked by a rise in optimistic sentiment in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries: citizens pinned their hopes for the future on the new monarch. Elizabeth tried to make the monarchy as “popular” as possible. The life of the Windsor family was deliberately made open to the public eye, which gave rise to numerous favorable publications in the press. Queen Elizabeth is a very versatile person. Let's look at some interesting facts about her, provided by SpeakOut magazine.
Queen Elizabeth celebrates two birthdays: April 26 (real) and the second Saturday of July each year (official).
The Queen is the only British citizen without a passport. She also has the right to drive a car without a license and without license plates.
The queen's hobby is photography. She also enjoys horseback riding, fishing and walking around the area.
The Queen regularly visits foreign countries for the purpose of cooperation. This is especially true for Commonwealth countries. Over the past 60 years, Elizabeth II has officially visited 116 countries.
In 2011, Elizabeth II turned 85 years old. Despite her age, the queen took part in all protocol events. As a gift, Elizabeth II received 15 thousand of her own portraits from British children. It's no secret that the Queen is the President of the Children's Defense Fund, the Rector of the University of London and is actively involved in social activities. The Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was born in 1926 and served in the Royal Navy. He has a keen interest in industry, youth achievement and saving wild animals from extinction.
The Queen's children: Charles, Prince of Wales (the Queen's heir), Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward. The Prince of Wales is known throughout the world as an ardent defender of the interests of Britain; he openly speaks out about modern art, violence, and educational standards in English schools. His wife Diana, Princess of Wales, won the love of many people. Diana did a lot of charity work around the world and became the most popular and beloved figure in the royal family. Unfortunately, in 1997, the princess died in a car accident. Diana's death is full of mysteries; it is a huge tragedy and loss for the entire British nation. Diana's children: Prince Harry and Duke William.
Not long ago, a new member of the British royal family was born - George, Prince of Cambridge. The Prince's parents: William, Duke of Cambridge, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. The birth of a new family member created a great sensation, and the whole world watched these images.
The royal family has several of their own homes in Britain, which they change depending on their location and time of year. Each place has its own purpose, but they have one thing in common - they are massive. Royal houses are divided into two types: official state residences and private properties.
The information obtained during our research helped us assess the amount of necessary linguocultural knowledge and the need for a thorough study of this topic. From the selected theoretical research material, we studied and briefly described the biography of family members who are part of the modern Royal Family. The wealth of history, key members of the British royal family, traditions - all this deserves more careful study in both schools and higher education institutions.
Bibliography
1. Guryeva, E.F.: Deep are the roots...: Essays on a brief history of Britain [Text] / E.F. Guryev. – Obninsk: Title, 1998.
2. Kubarkov, G.L.: Collection of new topics in modern English [Text] / G.L. Kubarkov, V.A. Tymoshchuk. – Donetsk: LLC PKF “BAO”, 2008.
3. Official website of the British Monarchy [Electronic resource] – Access mode: http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/Education/Overview.aspx.
4. Smotrov, A. The national grandmother - Elizabeth II is not going to retire [Text] / A. Smotrov // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. –2011. - No. 4050.
5. Timanovskaya, N.A.: A look at English-speaking countries [Text] / N.A. Timanovskaya. – Tula.: Autograph, 2000.
6. [Electronic resource]. - Access mode: www.wikipedia.org.
T typical British family in general it was never very numerous, it consisted of a father, mother and two children. In the UK, as in any other average European country, the divorce rate is quite high, so about twenty-five percent of children live in single-parent marriages, with one mother or one father. IN British family, unlike, for example, eastern families, it is not customary to live in a large family and communicate closely with relatives. Children live with their parents until they are eighteen, that is, until they graduate from high school, and then go to college. After college, children prefer to arrange their lives independently, although the possibility of them returning to the family is not excluded. In turn, the older generation, grandparents, who also overwhelmingly live separately from their children and grandchildren, are proud if they manage to build an independent and independent life without burdening their children, and especially their grandchildren, with requests for care.
Recent sociological research into what a typical Briton is like has shown that most British families They lead a fairly conservative and to some extent old-fashioned lifestyle. Their apartments are spacious, comfortable and most likely furnished in a classic style. Private British family usually one or two children and a pet: a dog, cat or parrot. It is more likely that parents do not smoke, since less than a quarter of the population currently smokes in the country. The British are picky eaters and prefer familiar, traditional English cuisine. The family lives according to a constant, familiar daily routine. They usually get up at seven in the morning, have breakfast at eight and leave for work and school at eight-thirty. Women in British families usually the majority work the same as men. Children return from school at four o'clock, parents come home from work at six o'clock, and then, at seven o'clock in the evening, the usual family dinner follows. Food during the week usually consists of semi-finished products heated in the oven or on the stove; on weekends, something homemade is prepared. The usual breakfast on weekdays is cereal with milk and juice, and on weekends - a heartier breakfast - porridge, scrambled eggs with bacon, tea with bacon.
There are about twenty-two million houses in the UK - small and large houses, new high-rise buildings and old cottages, flats and houses. Millions of these houses are very similar: with two or three bedrooms, a bathroom on the top floor, a dining room, living room and kitchen downstairs, and a small garden in front and behind the house. About eighty percent of Britons live in houses, sixty-seven percent of the country owns their own house or apartment, the rest rent. Generally, UK residents tend to buy housing because rental apartments are very expensive and there are few of them.
There are three types of houses in cities: detached house (for one family), semi-detached house (for two families) and terraced house (a row of houses adjacent to each other). Separate housing, standing on the ground with or without a garden, is naturally very expensive. A house for two owners is also not cheap; an apartment in such a house occupies two or three floors, but the rent for it is two times lower than for a detached house. Houses adjacent to each other form a long chain of apartments on the same street (the horizontal analogue of our tall high-rise buildings). In rural areas of Great Britain, the usual type of housing is a cottage. Most often this is an old small house with a wooden ceiling inside (in some places with a thatched roof). There is a flower bed or small garden around the house. But the rural cottage, so old "English" on the outside, is now modernized inside, has running water, central heating and all the amenities.
The British are very fond of landscaping, gardening is both a national tradition and, to some extent, a national sport. With the arrival of the spring season, the British pull out giant thickets of weeds along the edges of their plots, make rocking chairs, build drainage structures to drain water from the puddles and streams formed during the spring, grow giant pumpkins for the annual village festival, and plant whole acres of asters on the wastelands.
An example of conservatism and adherence to tradition. Customs and traditions form an essential part of the life of every British person. Events to celebrate which the whole family invariably gathers are engagements, weddings, the birth of a child, birthdays of older family members, as well as family holidays such as Easter, Christmas and New Year.
It is customary to celebrate the New Year with family with traditional apple pie. On Easter Monday, it is customary to congratulate friends and relatives on Easter, give gifts, and give toys and candy to children on the streets. On the last Monday of May, Spring Bank Holiday is celebrated - on the streets decorated with garlands of flowers you can taste real English roast beef. May is the most favorite month of the British; for almost all thirty days an atmosphere of elation and fun reigns. It is customary for the whole family to go outdoors with a picnic basket. In London this is the famous Hamsted Heath. August Bank Holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of August. This day British families also strive to spend time in nature. An unforgettable sight is the celebration of Halloween. The whole family takes part in creating the outfits - old ladies with a sharpened scythe, witches in pointed hats, a devil with pitchforks and other cute characters.
The most important family holiday, Christmas, falls at the end of the year, on December 25th. All British families gather together at one festive table. Mandatory dishes on the Christmas table are turkey and pudding, and only the head of the family should cut the turkey. The next day, December 26, is Boxing Day, friends and relatives visit each other and give gifts.
One of the most revered traditions in British families- it is the birthday of grandparents, the family also gets together, and an apple pie baked by the grandmother is served on the table. According to English traditions, if a person turns one hundred years old, the Queen herself congratulates him.
Classic English traditions when celebrating a wedding are quite widely known. Weddings are usually celebrated magnificently and richly. All relatives, including distant ones, are invited to the wedding. The groom wears a tuxedo or suit. The bride is traditionally dressed in a white dress and veil, but for good luck you must discreetly wear something new, something old, something borrowed and something blue. The groom must arrive at the wedding ceremony first and wait for the bride. The bride arrives at the ceremony with her father, who must accompany her arm in arm with the groom. After the ceremony, guests shower the newlyweds with flower petals and confetti.
Children in British families, according to already established European tradition, as a rule, do not appear early. To begin with, the spouses strive to find their place in life, climb the career ladder, arrange their lives, ensure their material well-being, and then think about their children. Grandparents do not sit with their grandchildren, but the average British family can afford to hire a nanny, even if the mother stays at home and does not work, although this is quite expensive. The British treat their children very kindly, and, from the point of view of, for example, a Russian person, they spoil them too much. It is not customary to raise your voice at a child or shout at him, especially in a public place - this is considered the height of indecency. The mother usually patiently and calmly endures whatever the child does.
Additional Information
- seotitle: British family - All about family
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Despite the fact that the Queen of Great Britain is Elizabeth II, the most talked about person in the royal family is Kate Middleton. Who else do we know from the royal couple? On everyone's lips is Prince William, his father Prince Charles, and sometimes we notice the Queen's husband, Prince Philip. However, this is not the entire list of the royal family; there are many more of them, although not all of them are captured by journalists, and you may even learn about some of them for the first time.
Who is considered a member of the British royal family?
There is no clear formal or even legal definition of who belongs to the royal family. However, behind the scenes, the royal family includes the monarch and his spouse, the widowed spouse of the monarch, the children and grandchildren of the monarch in the male line (that is, the children of Princess Anne are not assigned to the royal family), the spouses and widowed spouses of the sons and grandchildren in the male line of the monarch.
Succession to the throne in Great Britain is traditionally strict - only a Protestant can take the throne. A representative of the Windsor family may even be deprived of the right to inherit if she marries a Catholic.
Why do modern British monarchs have the surname Windsor?
The surname among the royals of Great Britain is not such a long-standing acquisition. At first, the royal family was not burdened with a surname at all; everyone only knew the name of the dynasty until 1917. The dynasty was called Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. With the outbreak of World War I, the then reigning monarch, George V, decided to change the name of the dynasty because he considered it too German. Not wanting to be associated with Germany, with whom Great Britain was at war, George V renamed his family and his descendants the House of Windsor, considering this name to be more English.
Then, in the mid-twentieth century, another change occurred. Until this point, succession to the throne had only taken into account genealogy through the male line, so the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty had to end with Queen Elizabeth II. Since her father George VI had no sons, the Duke of Gloucester would theoretically be the heir. However, in 1952, Elizabeth II issued a proclamation according to which her son and subsequent descendants would belong to the Windsor family. Accordingly, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was denied the right to pass on his surname to his children.
Genealogy of the British Royal Family
The Queen and her husband
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain
The current reigning Queen Elizabeth II is the daughter of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, whom we all know as Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The British Queen had a sister, Princess Margaret, but she died of a stroke in 2002.
As a child, little Lilibet (as Elizabeth was called at home) did not even think about the throne, since the throne was to be taken by her uncle Edward. However, he gave up his title in order to marry a twice-divorced woman. Then Elizabeth II's father, George VI, became king, but died 16 years later. As a result, a 25-year-old girl ascended the throne. Today, Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history - 2017 marked the 65th anniversary of her coronation.
Prince Philip, the Queen's husband
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is a descendant of the Greek king. At the time of his acquaintance with Elizabeth, he was the Prince of Greece and Denmark. After the murder of his grandfather and the overthrow of his uncle from the throne, Philip and his parents fled from Greece and subsequently arrived in London to visit relatives. Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II are fourth cousins and descendants of Queen Victoria. The future spouses met at one of the social events, actively corresponded during the war, and then the stubborn Lilibet was able to persuade the family to approve the marriage with her beloved.
The Queen's Brothers and Sisters
Queen Elizabeth II's cousins are also included in the royal family:
- Cousin Prince Edward, Duke of Kent along with his wife Catherine, Duchess of Kent.
- Cousin Prince Michael of Kent with his wife Marie Christina von Reibnitz, Princess of Kent.
- Cousin Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy.
- Cousin Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester along with his wife Birgitta, Duchess of Gloucester.
Prince Charles and his family
Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Charles, Prince of Wales is the first-born son of the Queen and Prince Philip. He is currently first in line to the throne. His first wife is Lady Diana Spencer (the wedding took place in 1981). The marriage was unhappy, although it produced two children. In 1996, at the insistence of the Queen, a divorce was filed, although the couple separated back in 1992. In 1997, Lady Di was killed in a car accident. In 2005, when the children were already grown, Prince Charles married his longtime mistress Camilla Parker Bowles.
Camilla, wife of Prince Charles
Prince Charles met Camilla Parker Bowles back in the 70s of the last century. A romance broke out between the young people, but Queen Elizabeth II was against their wedding; she decided to find a wife for her first-born herself. The reason for her mother's disapproval was Camilla's flighty character. She, in turn, married Andrew Parker-Bowles, but her feelings for the heir to the throne did not cool down, and after 10 years they resumed their relationship. After Prince Charles's divorce from Diana and her tragic death, Camilla agreed to get married only in 2005, but out of respect for her ex-wife, her wife refused the title of Princess of Wales, so she bears the title of Duchess of Cornwall. Charles and Camilla do not have common children, however, she still has children from her first marriage - Tom and Laura, they are not members of the royal family.
Prince William, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge is the firstborn son of Prince Charles and Lady Di. He loved his mother very much and was extremely attached to her. He took the divorce of his parents and her death so hard that he even had to hire a psychotherapist specifically for the boy. Prince William graduated from Eton College and the University of St. Andrews, where he met his future wife Kate Middleton. They got married in 2011 and now have two children.
Catherine Middleton, wife of Prince William
Catherine (popularly Kate), or the Duchess of Cambridge, became the wife of Prince William in 2011, before which they dated for about 10 years. The girl's parents are middle class people who made a fortune thanks to their company "Party Pieces", which made them millionaires. Kate also has a sister, Philippa, and a brother, James. Catherine and William have a son and daughter growing up, however, their family is soon expecting a new addition - another baby is due in 2018.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, children of Prince William and Catherine
Prince George of Cambridge was born in 2013, and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge in 2015. Despite their young age, the children of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have already taken positions in ratings of the most influential people in Great Britain several times. Both children are included in the list of succession to the throne - George is in third place, and Charlotte is in fourth place.
Prince Harry, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Prince Henry of Wales, or simply Prince Harry, is the younger brother of Prince William, the second son of Lady Di and Prince Charles. Born in 1984, he devoted his adult life to serving in the army, in 2011 he was awarded the rank of captain in the Army Air Corps. Prince Harry has a rich list of girls with whom he had romantic relationships, however, in 2016 he began seriously courting American actress Meghan Markle, and in the fall of 2017 they announced their engagement.
Princess Anne
Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
The Queen of Great Britain and Prince Philip have only one daughter - Princess Anne, who has the title of Princess Royal. Just like her mother, Princess Anne has had a great love for equestrian sports since childhood. She participated in many competitions, including the Olympic Games in 1976.
Princess Anne's first marriage was to Mark Phillips, a captain in the Royal Army, however they divorced in 1992. During their marriage, they had two children - Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips. As already mentioned above, it is not customary to classify them as members of the British royal family.
Princess Anne's second husband was Timothy Lawrence, a British Navy employee who is also not a member of the royal family.
Prince Andrew and his family
Prince Andrew, son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Prince Andrew, or Duke of York, is the third child of the reigning Queen and Prince Philip, and he is also sixth in line to the throne. Andrew married Sarah Ferguson in 1986. They divorced in 1996, so Sarah could no longer be considered a member of the royal family. During their marriage, they had two children - Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Princess Beatrice, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah
Beatrice, Princess of York is the first child of Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah. A girl was born on a very beautiful date, 08/08/1988 at 8 pm 18 minutes. She is seventh in line to the British throne. At the age of 19, like all members of the royal family, she was required to gain work experience and was hired as a consultant for VIP clients at the Selfridges department store. The girl also has acting experience.
Princess Eugenie, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah
Eugenie, Princess of York is the second daughter of Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah. A girl with an attractive appearance is an enviable bride in Great Britain. She tries to lead an ordinary life, works at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in London, where she organizes various events and special projects.
Prince Edward and his family
Prince Edward, son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex is the youngest son of the reigning Queen and Prince Philip. He created the television company Ardent Productions and worked there for a long time. In this company he met his future wife, Sophie Rhys-Jones, the wedding took place in 1999. The couple has two children - Louise and James.
Sophie, wife of Prince Edward
Sophie, Countess of Wessex has been the wife of Prince Edward since 1999. She began her career in public relations and currently supports her husband in royal affairs.
Lady Louise and Viscount Severn James, children of Prince Edward and Sophie
Lady Louise Windsor, born in 2003, and James Windsor, Viscount Severn, born in 2007, do not have the titles of princess and prince, as their parents wished so. By agreement of the queen, they are titled as the children of an earl, not a prince.
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