Tee OM OL ets of Britain ‘im Vicary ONFORD BOOKWORMS 1Kings and Queens of Britain Tim Vicary I — :1 The Queen and Parliament Every year the Queen opens ament. Millions hher on TV. SI people ckingham Palace with a lor of soldiers on horses, and many of rhe important people in the country wait for her in the Houses of Parliament the imports She wears a beautiful dress and has a crown on her head. She is the most famous woman in Bri s Head of the Church of England. She is an important woman. y important? Sh He in Parhiat she doc she the Head of the Cl To answer these qt we must bepin a long time ago. We mu arn about of the kings and2 Queen Boudicca In AID 43 there were a lor of kin In the east of England there was and queens all over Britain. The 1 young queen called Boudivea Roman emperor, The Roman soldiers were afraid of Claudius, wanted to be her husband because he was a emperor of all Britain good soldier. Bur her husband died, His Roman soldiers ind the Roman soldiers came into came to Brirain to rake n. They wanted to Boudicea’s t the country from the British kings and ¢ idicca was very Go away!" she said. ‘Tam the Queen, and these are my people! The Emperor Claudius Kings aitd Queens of B Bur the Roman soldiers laug! ht = you're a. woman! a ‘You can't f they said. In front of all her peor they took off her dress, and hit her and her children, many times. Then they laughed in, and went away. That night, Boudicea, and hundreds of her people, killed the Roman soldiers. They burned the Roman towns of Colchester and Sr Alb pe as. Thousands of British e came to help Boudicca. They burned the Roman city of London, and killed hundreds of Roman soldiers, and women and children too. ‘lam going to kill all nans!” Boudicca said. ‘lam Queen of all Britain now! But more and more Romar soldiers came to Britain — isands and thousands of them Boudicea’s men began to run away Six months later, Boudicca died. Boudicca wanted to be Queen of all Britais re but the Romans were strong, Burt we remember her because she was the first famous British queen ou can see her, a big, in Hyde Park Corner, in the middle of Today tall, beautiful woma London. Boudicca3 Alfred the Great Alfred the Great was born in 849, in the south of England, He was the youngest of four brothers. Kings at that time were usually good soldiers, bur they didn’t atten know how to read. But Alfred went to Rome with his mother. He learned to read and write there At that time there were a lot of Danish soldiers in the north of England. The Danish kings wanted to be kings of all England. They killed Alfred’s three brothers, burned English towns, and killed Alfred’s people. Soon the Danes were in London and most of the south of England. Alfred king in the west of England, but the Danes came there, too. Every year the Danes were stronger and stronger King Alfred's A white horse in Wiltshire Bur Alfred and hi to fight better and better. The n learned Danes began to lose, and Alfred’s soldiers went east, to Winchester and London, The En people were happy to see them. ‘We want Alfred to be our Kinj Nor the Danes.’ Sometimes, they made hite horses on the hills, because they were happy and free. The Danes went back to the north of E nd. Alfred was king in the south of England, and the Danish king, Gu was king in the north A King Alfred i silver penny Kings and Queens of Britain Guthrum was afraid of Alfred and didn’t want to fight him any more. But more Danish soldiers came over the sea in their big ships. In the south of England they burned towns and killed people But then Alfred’s men made some big new ships. Every time the Danes came, Alfred’s men were ready for them. So the Danes went to different countries, and England was quiet and free Alfred lived in Winchester, in the south of England. He was king, fir twenty-eight years. In his time, peaple macde a lor of new schools. They began to write tt first books in English, too, Eng people remember him because was a strong, good king.4 William | The year 1066 is famous tor English people. In that year, three people came to England to fight, because they all wanted to be king. The old king, Edward, died in 1066, and the most important man alive in England was Harold Godwinsson. ‘Edward had no children,” he said to the people, ‘so Lam your king now,’ But a Frenchman, William of Normandy, didn't like this. “Edward wanted me to be ki after him!" he said. ‘lcame to London last year, and he asked me then! Harold Godwinsson was there!’ So William went ro England ght Harold. Harold's brother Tostig was in Norway. with his soldiers to Ar the same time; ‘ostig didn’t like his brother; he wanted King Harald of Norway to of England. So Harald ¢ Norway and Tostig came to the north of England with their ships fiers, to. and 4 Harald and Tostig got to England first, before William, Harald of Norway was a very big man, nearly two metres tall, but Harold Godwinsson wasn’t afraid, #2 to give him two metres of England, that’s all,” he said “Two metres of England for a dead Norwegian!" The English met the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge, near York For a long time a tall Norwegian stood on the bridge over the river, ro stop the English soldiers. But then some English soldiers killed him from a ship under the bridge. After that the English killed Harald of Norway too, so he gor his nwo metres of England. fight between ‘iliam and Harold Godwinsson Kings and Queens of Britain Later that day, a man ona tired horse came to Harold Godwinssen, “Sir, William of Normandy is in England!” he said, “He has thousands of soldiers with him!" So, in one week, Harold Godwinsson and his men walke to the south of England, They were very tired. They waited ona hill, and William's men came up the hill to fight them. William’s soldiers killed Harold Gedwinsson, so then William was king of England! William's wife and her women madea beautiful long picture called The Bayeux Tapestry to tell this story. You can see it in Bayeux, in France, today. William was king for twenty-one years. He and his men didn’t understand English, and so for nwo hundred years all the important writing in England was in French, nor English. Most rich people spoke in French, too. We know a lor about England in William's time, because William’s men went to every town and village to ask hundreds of questions, Then they put the William | becomes king Domesday Book answers in a big book called Domesday Book. People in English villages can look in Domesday Book today, and sce how many people and houses and animals there were in their village in 1087. William was a strong king, and people remember him because his children and his children’s children were kings of England for two hundred years.R Kings and Queens of Britain 9 5 King Henry VIII and the Church Oh yes lean,’ Henry said.‘lam called Cath the king of Eng ne Howard. But he Land! Tean do what was a fat old man of fifty then, so King Henry Vill was born in 1491, jut Henry wanted a son. After I want—the Pope in Rome can't ot course Catherine didn’t love 4 in L509 he married Catherine een years Henry and Catherine stop me! him. Soon he saw her with a young, of Arap At thar time he was a had one d. ter, but no sons. $o he divorced Catherine and man, and then his soldiers killed tall, strc happy you nan. He Catherine w and Henry married Ann. Then he took a her loved sing) d reading and loved a younger woman, Ann Chureh’s money and bu Henry's sixth wife, Catherine writing, and he went to church yn int a new wife,’ Henry too. “The King is the most Parr, was an older woman, and she three or four times every The said to the Pope. “l want to divorce important person in the Church of lived longer than him. Pope in Rome — the mose Catherine and marry Ann. Er nd now,’ he said. “Not the Henry di: n 1S47, He was important man in the ¢ No, you can’t do thi Pope. fifty-six years old, and he was old Church — was Sut Ann had a daughter, not a and fat and ill. But because of h him. son. Henry was very angey with the King or Queen of England is her, and she was afraid of him always the Head of the Church of because she didn’t love him — she loved a younger man. Henry loved a younger woman, too — Jane Seymour. So, one day in 1536, Henry’s soldiers killed Ann, and Henry closed churches and tank their mone Henry married Jane. "a : Jane had a sen —at last! Bur then ine of Aragon Catherine Parr she died after her son was born. So then Henry married a different woman, Anne of Cleves, He married her because he saw a beautiful picture of hee Bur then he atiful! met her —and she wasn’t t So he divorced her, too. In 1541 Henry married a Catherine Howard beautiful seventeen-year-old girl10 6 Elizabeth | The young Elizabeth had a very difficult time. Her father (King Henry VIN) killed her mother Boleyn). Then her sister Mary Ann (¢ s daughter atherine of Arag was Queen, and Elizabeth was in prison, A lot of people wanted to kill her. Bur Mary died in 1558 Elizabeth w and W she had 16 Queen of England for forty-five years, but » husband and no children liked her Most peopl then. Today, many people think she was England’s best queen. Why? Elizabeth | Kings and Ouvens of Britain At this time England was.a strong, happy country. Queen and Parliament worked well, so most people were happy. English people did new, exciting things. In 1577-80 an Englishman, Francis Drake, went around the world in his ship, the Golden Hinde. ln 1588 thousands of Spanish soldiers and ships came to England to fight Elizabeth, bur Drake’s men, and some very bad weather, kept them away. In 1584 some English people went to live in Virginia, in America, In London, William Shakespeare began to write his famous plays. William Shakespeare Some people were unhappy, of course. For twenty years the Seottish queen, Mary, was in prison in England. Some people wanted her to be queen because she was a Catholic. Mary was more beautiful than Elizabeth, too. In 1587, some of Mary’s friends tried te kill Eliz Some weeks later, Elizabeth's soldiers killed Mary. Elizabeth died in 1603. She was seventy years old. After her, Mary's son, James, was king. He was king of Scotland. Now he was the first king of England ard Scotland. Golden Hinde at Santa Dominga7 King Charles and Oliver Cromwell sl. The King’s soldiers began to In t soldiers of Parliament. But y Parliament's soldiers were better. soldiers, Oliver Cromwell was Parliament’s bur the important most important man, and after people in Parliament three years he met the King did nor want to give it ‘Now, sir, you must to him. “This is our this time,” Cromwell sai money and our live in this countr bare our country,’ they s are NOE your peo Listen to us! Before yg Charles didn’r listet Cromwell was most important Most people we give you the J am the King,” he said, ‘so | ar man in the country didn’t like this. Money, awe TUE 4 lor of people liked this.at first. was better befor Charles | change some thir w this is ovr country, noe che Cromwell,’ they in England. they said. “We can do wt said. ‘Now we can. rles didn Things are goi do not change th the In 1659 Oliver id. ‘le t want to listen to you! Bur things didn’t ger much Cromwell died, You must do what I say! better, and soon many people Jin 1660 King didn't like Cromwell. Cromwell's Charles's son The death of Charles men said: ‘Ar Christmas, nobody Charles II, came can sing or drink or go to asn't av Shakespeare's plays, because that is — people liked him after bad. People can goto church, that's They liked to sing-at ull. England is a country for good, h Christ quiet people now.’ King Charles liked that8 King James Il and Parliament But soon there questions for King and Parliament to answer. Charles I died in 1685 and his brother, James IL, was the next king, But King James 1 was 4 Catholic — the first Catholic James Ii King for nearly 150 years! The people in Parliament were unhappy about this. The King was the Head of the Church ot England, and the Church of England was yery different from the Catholic Church. ‘But perhaps King James is going to dic soon, they said. James was fifty-two years old, and he had no sons. Bur then, in 1688, James's wile had a baby son. People were afraid, “Now we have a Catholic Kitig with a Catholic son!’ they said. ‘England is going to be a were more difficult Catholic country again.” Some sople said: ‘The Queen didn’t really have a baby — she’s too old, We think someone put a different woman's baby in her bed!” But James laughed atrhis. This King must go,’ the men of Parliament said. Some of them went to Holland, to talk to King William of Orange. William’s wife Mary was James's daughter, bur William and Mary were not Catholics. “Please come to England, rey said. “We want you and wife to be King and Queen — we can't have James because he is a Catholic” m Hf arrives in Engiand in 1688 and ©. So William of Orange came to Ex was afraid. His soldiers cidn’t want land with his soldiers. James to fight, so he went to France with his wife and baby son, William and Mary were King and Queen! So for the second time in fifty years, Parliament changed the King of England. But this time, the soldiers did nor fight or kill people. William was King because Parliament asked him to come. William had money and soldiers because Parliament gave them to him. William was a strong King, bur Parliament was stronger. Parliament of Britain William it Mary It Today, the most important people in Britain work in Parliament every day, but the Queen goes there once a year. Parliament was strong in 1688; day it is much stronger.9 King Edward VIII alled Wallis ta Catholic, bur marry, Because the ki It ise , 1 Americ gf is Head of Church of England, he can't orced —from nyo men! And in 1936 Edward or marry a ditterer member, be her divorced woman, (B Henry VUL, the first Head of the Church, divorced his first wife! The British newspapers didn’t n he d his second wite rite about Mrs Simp n, SO Most s fourth wife!) ward VII w new king of England. He was anct | British people did w abou In 1936, E the her, Did they want aman to be Queen Bur of course the most important forty-three years old, and he loved knows, because nobody asked them people in the Church and Parliament knew about Mrs Edward VII ard Vil and Wai Simpson, and they didn’t wane her to be Queen So they said to Edward: *You can be King, sir, or youcan marry Mrs Simpson. Bur you can't be King and marry her. Which do you want — England, or that woman? I love Mes Simpson,’ Edward ‘And Lam going to answer marry her” He talked to the British people. ‘Ar last lam free. I'm going to marry the woman I love. I'm sorry, but }ean'r be your King. Goodbye. Edward Vill speaks to the British people And so in 1936 the new King was Edward's younger brother George. Edward went away from England with his new wife, and never came back The new king: George VI and Queen Elizabeth18 Kings and Queens of Britatr [9 10 The Queen today The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth, too. In 1996 there t ir pe Queen Elizabeth I was bort Once a year she opens were fifty-one countries in the people in hottest Auser 1926, and she was Queen in 1952 Parliame d once a week she Commonwealth, A hundred years coldest Canada sit anc she was twenty-five then coda talks to the Prime Minister = th ipovallithese:colinnies were nediw acne Hine {morther. Bur is t Most impartant ma man in British. Now they a th: ork really important? Par vent. The Prime Minister ¢ are in the Commonwe i She is Queen of England, Wales much more important, bu their Prime Ministers meet and talk Scotland and Northern frelanc. She every year, The Queen visits near isits these countries very often ill se COL lor of schools and F opens new buil 2 hundreds of ch No one is afraid of the Queen teach and wor She doesn’t tell dle Queen Elizabeth is also Queen She is ir of Australia, Canada, New like h nda lor of sm: She visits pi countries. She often yisits these and thousand countries roo, and knows a lor |20 Exercises A Checking your understanding Pages 1-5 Fir aster yi HM 1 When and why do Queen go to Parliament? 2 Why was pangry with the Roman soldic } Where can you see Boudicea today? What did Alfred do in Rome? 5 Why do English people remember Alfr wes 6-13 Are these sentences true (T) 01 1 Harald of Norway England. 2 The Norwegian Ha: King Henry VIL had six wives. 4 Henry killed his 5 Queen Elizabeth | went round the world n Hinde ge Charles I didn’t liste 1 killed t t wife because she had a vith Francis Drake Gol 6 Kir Oliver Cr the men in Parliament well was king of et King Charles 1 Who did tl » England with his soldiers. woman called Wallis Simpsor Pages 18-19 Fin th these qu ext | How old ts Queen I t 2 Which count he Queen of What does ¢ ny Elizalre lo ever hristinas? and William of Normandy wanted to be k Tu Kin, Queens of Bri B Working with language s with information from the book nt, Queen Elizabeth wears In 1066, three people came to England to ... 3. Harold Godwinssen said: ‘I'm going to give Harald of Norway two metres ... 4 King Henry VIII divorced his first wife because 5 King Henry VIII's soldiers killed Catherine Howard because 2 Use these words t ses together. because aad but 1 Elizabeth was queen for twenty-five years. She had no husband and no children Some people wanted Mary Queen of Scots to be Queen of Er She was a Catholic 3 Queen Elizabeth I visits people all over the world. Thousands of people come to London to see her. C Activities 1 Imagine thar King Henry Vill is talking to Catherine Parr, before thes are married. She asks him about his other wives. Write the conversanon berween them 2 Imagine that you are Queen Elizabeth I. Write the diary of one week it your life. D Project work Find out as much as you can abour either one of the kings or queens in thr book, or another king or queen. What are the most important things that this king or queen did? What were the best things and the worst th Do you think he or she had a happy life or a sad one? WhGlossary baby a véry small, young child began past tense of tab bridge a bridge carries a road-over iriver burn to make someth very very church people go ind listen to G daughter a girl child divorce when a husband and wite liverce, they are nor more emperor a king of many countries fight when people hit and try to kill eg her at very good and very Important kept pastt kill ta make knew past tense of ‘to know met past tens: ‘to meet in the middle of Lone liament an important building 1 people peor prison a ‘ople son a speak (past tense ‘spoke") to talk ro people stood if *to stand” strong strong people can carry big things easily, They ¢ fight well took past tense of ‘to take world where we all live, If you go west from England and don’t stop you go round the world and after ecks you come back to England ag 1, from the east wrote past tense of “to write’KINGS AND QUEENS OF BRITA De eee cet een ro eA eGt Mn itelee trea isc Me cr a oe Ree ne ca ama a tate eran ee eee ete Acree teem en ccc ae oom Cee area ea ete eee kee Led tells us just how it has changed, ee Pec cere ere eae Th important and interesting information paren eae eth te eet ser real reading in English. 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