The Life and Reign of Queen Elizabeth II

Ex 1: Ask and answer the questions below with a partner or in small groups.

1. Does your country have a king or queen? If so, what power do they have?
2. What do you know about the British Monarchy?
3. Where did Queen Elizabeth live?
4. How many children did she have? Which one of her children is now the King?
5. Do you know any other information about her life?

Ex 2: Match the vocabulary to the definitions before comparing your answers in pairs.

1. the Commonwealth n A. association comprising the UK and previous states of the British Empire.
2. reign v B. a brother or a sister.
3. heir n C. disagree with and try to prevent something.
4. throne n D. a special anniversary, particularly one that celebrates a monarch’s reign.
5. oppose v E. commence/carry out a task or journey, especially a long or difficult one.
6. jubilee n F. somebody who has been divorced.
7. undertake v G. existing in name only (of role or status), without any real power.
8. sibling n H. of or relating to a king or queen (one who reigns).
9. socialite n I. adjective used to describe what someone or something was previously.
10. nominal adj J. (of a king or queen) renounce/give up the throne.
11. divorcee n K. rule as monarch / period of time during which a monarch rules.
12. abdicate v L. special chair for a king or queen / the position of being king or queen.
13. regnal adj M. somebody who is famous for socialising with the fashionable and elite.
14. former adj N. someone who is entitled to inherit something.

Ex 3: Read the text, and complete the gaps with the vocabulary provided on the next page.

Early Life of Queen Elizabeth II:

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary II was born in London, England on the 26th of April 1926. She
was the eldest child of Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the
Duchess of York. She and her only 1. ______________ , a younger sister, Margaret, spent the
majority of their childhoods at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, and Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England,
where they were schooled privately in history, languages, literature, and music.

In 1936, when Elizabeth was just ten years old, the course of her future changed dramatically. Her uncle,
King Edward VIII, had fallen in love with a twice-divorced American 2. ______________, called Wallis
Simpson, and wanted to marry her.

The governments of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth were strongly
opposed to the union, particularly as the monarch was also the 3. ______________ head of the Church of
England, which did not permit 4. ______________ to remarry. Despite the opposition, Edward refused to give
up the love of his life, and this led to his 5. ______________.

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 Edward’s brother, Prince Albert, was next in line to the 6. ______________. He became King on 11th
December, 1936, taking the 7. ______________ name, King George VI. In the absence of a male
8. _____________, and being the eldest child, Elizabeth was now set to become the future Queen.
During the Second World War, Elizabeth joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she learnt how to
drive and maintain vehicles.

In 1947, she travelled to South Africa with her parents. On her return, it was announced that she was to be
married to a distant cousin, Prince Philip Mountbatten, a former prince of Greece and Denmark.
Following their marriage, he was given the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

They had their first child, Prince Charles, at Buckingham Palace in 1948, and two years later, Princess Anne
was born.

throne heir socialite divorcees

nominal regnal sibling abdication

Ex 4: Reading & Paraphrasing

(a) Student A: Read part 1, and try to memorise the information. You can take brief notes as you read.
Student B: Read part 2, and do the same.
(b) Tell your partner what you learned.
(c) Read your partner’s text. Did they miss any important information?
(d) Look at the words and phrases in bold print, and discuss their meaning in pairs.

Reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Part 1):

Sadly, in 1952, when Elizabeth was twenty-five, her father, King George VI, died, and Elizabeth became
Queen of the seven independent Commonwealth countries (the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan). The coronation ceremony was held in Westminster Abbey
on the 2nd June 1953 and was televised.
The royal family then took up residence at Buckingham Palace, and the following year, the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh undertook a six-month world tour of the Commonwealth. Later, she had two more
children, Prince Andrew, born in 1960, and Prince Edward, born in 1964.
Throughout her 70 years as Queen, Elizabeth carried out a wide variety of duties, including visiting
charities, hospitals, schools and factories; hosting and visiting heads of state; and taking part in various
receptions and ceremonies.

Reign of Queen Elizabeth II (Part 2):

In 2002, she celebrated her Golden Jubilee, marking her 50th year on the throne. Her children went on to
marry and have their own children, and by 2007, she had eight grandchildren.
In the nineties, the Queen encountered a number of challenges as Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and
Princess Anne all separated from, or divorced, their partners. Tragically, Prince Charles’s former wife,
Princess Diana, who was much loved by the public, was killed in a car accident involving the press in 1997.
The Queen faced criticism, as she did not fly the royal flag at half-mast upon Diana’s passing.
There were happier times in more recent years when Prince Charles was remarried in 2005 to Camilla
Parker Bowles with the support of the British public, and later when the Queen led the family in celebrating
the wedding of Prince William, Charles’s son, and Catherine Middleton in 2011.

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Ex 5: Read the text below, and then discuss the meaning of the vocabulary in bold print, in pairs.

Deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II:

In August 2017, Prince Philip officially retired from public life. He passed away in 2021 during COVID
times, which must have been very isolating for Elizabeth.

In June 2022, Britain celebrated 70 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Her final public engagement was the
appointment of Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister. Just two days later, on 8th September
2022, the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral Castle, aged 96. She was the longest-reigning
monarch in British history.

The British royal family now comprises her heir, King Charles III, and his close relatives, who
support him in his charity work and other public engagements.

Ex 6: Match the two halves of the collocations.

1. pass A. criticism 1. ____________________________________________

2. take up B. to the throne 2. ____________________________________________
3. public C. engagements 3. ____________________________________________
4. fly a flag D. away 4. ____________________________________________
5. face E. at half-mast 5. ____________________________________________
6. golden F. residence 6. ____________________________________________
7. retire G. jubilee 7. ____________________________________________
8. be next in line H. ceremony 8. ____________________________________________
9. coronation I. from public life 9. ____________________________________________

Ex 7: Complete the sentences from the texts with their missing prepositions on the right.

1. ... they were schooled privately _____ history, languages, literature, and music.
in x 3
2. ... the course _____ her future changed dramatically.
3. ... were strongly opposed _____ the union. of
4. ... this led _____ his abdication.
to x 2
5. ... was next _____ line to the throne.
6. _____ the absence of a male heir, ... out
7. Elizabeth carried _____ a wide variety of duties.
upon
8. Her children went _____ to marry and have their own children.
9. ... and Princess Anne all separated _____, or divorced their partners. on x 2
10. ... she did not fly the royal flag at half-mast _____ Diana’s passing. from
11. _____ her return, it was announced that she was to be married.

Ex 8: What do you remember from the lesson? Answer the questions in pairs/small groups.

1. What happened when Elizabeth was 10 years old?

2. Why was the government against King Edward’s marriage to Wallis Simpson?
3. What did Elizabeth do during the Second World War?
4. How old was Elizabeth when she became Queen?
5. What did she celebrate in 2002?
6. What tragic event occurred in 1997?
7. What was the Queen’s final public engagement?

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