House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Although he was the son and heir of Victoria, Edward VII inherited his father's names and is therefore counted as inaugurating a new royal house.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Succession right
Edward VII Albert Edward 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910		9 November 1841 Buckingham Palace son of Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha	Alexandra of Denmark St George's Chapel 10 March 1863 6 children	6 May 1910 Buckingham Palace aged 68	Son of Queen Victoria

 

House of Windsor

The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during World War I. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because of wartime anti-German sentiment in the United Kingdom.

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death	Succession right
George V George Frederick Ernest Albert 6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936		3 June 1865 Marlborough House son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark	Mary of Teck St James's Palace 6 July 1893 6 children	20 January 1936 Sandringham House aged 70	Son of Edward VII
Edward VIII Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David 20 January – 11 December 1936 (abdicated)		23 June 1894 White Lodge son of George V and Mary of Teck	Wallis Warfield Simpson Château de Candé 3 June 1937 no children	28 May 1972 Neuilly-sur-Seine aged 77	Son of George V
George VI Albert Frederick Arthur George 11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952		14 December 1895 Sandringham House son of George V and Mary of Teck	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Westminster Abbey 26 April 1923 2 children	6 February 1952 Sandringham House aged 56	Son of George V
Elizabeth II Elizabeth Alexandra Mary 6 February 1952 – present		21 April 1926 Mayfair daughter of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon	Philip of Greece and Denmark Westminster Abbey 20 November 1947 4 children	Incumbent	Daughter of George VI

Supliamentary reading

American Colonies

 

Thirteen Colonies

 

Colonies are the areas of the world that at one time were part of the British Empire. The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America founded between 1607 (Virginia) and 1733 (Georgia). They began collaborating at the Albany Congress of 1754 to demand their rights and set up a Continental Congress that declared independence in 1776 and formed the states of the United States of America.

Those 13 colonies were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Each colony developed its own system of self-government. Residents of these colonies were mostly independent farmers, who owned their own land and voted for their local and provincial government. Benjamin Franklin, in 1772, after examining the wretched hovels in Scotland surrounding the opulent mansions of the land owners, said that in New England "every man" is a property owner, "has a vote in public affairs, lives in a tidy, warm house, has plenty of good food and fuel, with whole clothes from head to foot, the manufacture perhaps of his own family." Following a series of protests in the 1760s and 1770s, these colonies united militarily in opposition to Great Britain and the rule of King George III with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. In 1776 they declared their independence and formed a new nation, the United States of America.

Before independence, the thirteen were part of a larger set of colonies in British America. Those in the British West Indies, Newfoundland, the Province of Quebec, Nova Scotia and East and West Florida remained loyal to the crown throughout the war. However, their geographical isolation and the dominance of British naval power precluded any effective participation.

British settlers did not come to the American colonies with the intention of creating a democratic system, yet by doing without a land-owning aristocracy they created a broad electorate and a pattern of free and frequent elections. The colonies were independent of each other before 1774 as efforts led by Benjamin Franklin to form a colonial union through the Albany Congress of 1754 had failed. The thirteen all had well established systems of self-government and elections based on the Rights of Englishmen, which they were determined to protect from imperial interference.

Mercantilism was the basic policy imposed by Britain on its colonies. Mercantilism meant that the government and the merchants became partners with the goal of increasing political power and private wealth, to the exclusion of other empires. The government protected its merchants—and kept others out—by trade barriers, regulations, and subsidies to domestic industries in order to maximize exports from and minimize imports to the realm. The government had to fight smuggling—which became a favorite American technique in the 18th century. The goal of mercantilism was to run trade surpluses, so that gold and silver would pour into London. The government took its share through duties and taxes, with the remainder going to merchants in Britain.

 

American revolution

 

Beginning with the intense protests over the Stamp Act of 1765, the Americans insisted on the principle of "no taxation without representation". They argued that, as the colonies had no representation in the British Parliament, it was a violation of their rights as Englishmen for taxes to be imposed upon them. Parliament rejected the colonial protests and asserted its authority by passing new taxes. Trouble escalated over the tea tax, as Americans in each colony boycotted the tea and in Boston, dumped the tea in the harbor during the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Tensions escalated in 1774 as Parliament passed the laws known as the Intolerable Acts, which, among other things, greatly restricted self-government in the colony of Massachusetts. In response the colonies formed extralegal bodies of elected representatives, generally known as Provincial Congresses, and later that year twelve colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. During the Second Continental Congress the thirteenth colony, Georgia, sent delegates. By spring 1775 all royal officials had been expelled from all thirteen colonies. The Continental Congress served as a national government through the war that raised an army to fight the British and named George Washington its commander, made treaties, declared independence, and instructed the colonies to write constitutions and become states.

 

Other British colonies

 

At the time of the war Britain had seven other colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America: Newfoundland, Rupert's Land (the area around the Hudson Bay), Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, East Florida, West Florida, and the Province of Quebec. There were other colonies in the Americas as well, largely in the British West Indies. These colonies remained loyal to the crown.

Newfoundland stayed loyal to Britain without question. It was tightly bound to Britain and controlled by the Royal Navy and had no assembly that could voice grievances. Nova Scotia had a large Yankee element that had recently arrived from New England, and shared the sentiments of the Americans about demanding the rights of the British men. The royal government reluctantly allowed the Yankees of Nova Scotia a kind of "neutrality." In any case, the island-like geography and the presence of the major British naval base made the thought of armed resistance impossible.

Quebec was inhabited by French Catholic settlers who came under British control in the previous decade. The Quebec Act of 1774 gave them formal cultural autonomy within the empire, and many priests feared the intense Protestantism in New England. The American grievances over taxation had little relevance, and there was no assembly nor elections of any kind that could have mobilized any grievances.

In the West Indies the elected assemblies of Jamaica, Grenada, and Barbados formally declared their sympathies for the American cause, but the others were quite loyal. Britain carefully avoided antagonizing the rich owners of sugar plantations (many of whom lived in London); in turn the planters' greater dependence on slavery made them recognize the need for British military protection from possible slave revolts.

In Bermuda and the Bahamas local leaders were angry at the food shortages caused by British blockade of American ports. There was increasing sympathy for the American cause, including smuggling, and both colonies were considered "passive allies" of the United States throughout the war.

East Florida and West Florida were new royal territories, transferred to Britain during the French and Indian War. After 1775, East Florida became a major base for the British war effort in the South, especially in the invasions of Georgia and South Carolina.

Essential vocabulary

wretched hovels – жалкие лачуги

opulent – богатый

fuel – топливо

naval – военно-морской

to preclude – исключать

frequent elections – частые выборы

interference – вмешательство

trade barriers – торговые барьеры

realm – королевство

smuggling – контрабанда

surpluses – профицит

remainder – остаток

Stamp Act – закон о гербовом сборе

representation – представительство

violation – нарушение

to assert – утверждать

to escalate – нарастать

to dump – выбрасывать

tension – напряжение

extralegal – неузаконенный

to expel – исключить

to voice grievances – озвучить жалобы

reluctantly – неохотно

armed resistance – вооруженное сопротивление

to declare sympathies – выражать сочувствие

to avoid – избегать

antagonizing – противодействие

revolt – восстание

shortage – нехватка

passive allies – пассивные союзники

The Royal Family

For more than a thousand years Britain has always had kings or queens except for the ten years between 1649 and 1659. In the past, kings had great power and they really made history. They started wars, made laws, and did things in their own way. But gradually more and more power went to Parliament. What does the Queen do now? Why does Britain need monarchy? And does it?

Elizabeth II calls the Windsor family a ‘Firm’. And the main business of the royal family is… well, probably, being royal. And they are paid for it. The Queen is one of the richest women in the world and yet she gets about 8 million pounds a year to be Queen. But many people agree that she does her job well and she deserves her salary.

The official title of the Queen sounds like that:

“Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”

Being Queen is a really busy job. Elizabeth II gets up early and begins the day by looking through the newspapers. Then she reads letters from the public (she gets more than 1000 each week), and tells her staff how she would like them to be answered. The Queen has daily meetings with her Private Secretary who helps her to go through her paperwork, and lots of meetings with ambassadors, new judges, and bishops.

In the afternoon Elizabeth II often goes out on public engagements – she gets thousands of invitations each year. She opens new hospitals, bridges and factories. Once a week, the Queen has a meeting with the Prime Minister and they discuss government business and important things that are happening in the country.

In the evening the Queen reads the report of the day from Parliament. She isn’t a politician, and in modern Britain the power belongs to the government, but she must agree to every new law. It’s a formal agreement; no king or queen has refused a new law since 1701!

Being Queen is not a 9 to 5 job, and Elizabeth II has to work from early morning until late at night. And people watch her all the time. Of course, she has some free time, and some private life, but less than most people. In her spare time Elizabeth II enjoys horse racing, fishing, and walking in the countryside. She also enjoys photography and likes taking photos on her travels.

Many other members of the Royal Family lead a busy life too. Princess Anne, for example, is Head of the University of London, Colonel of eleven army regiments, and president of the Save the Children Fund.

Many people think that the Royals are useless and monarchy is outdated. But… the British people seem to like them that way. They like to read about the royal family and royal scandals. They like to watch royal ceremonies, they are proud of the tradition of monarchy. According to a survey conducted during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, six out of ten people in Britain thought the monarchy was not out of date. But young people were less sure. Those aged under 24 were split evenly. One half liked the Royals, the others thought they were not important anymore and said they weren’t happy with the cost of keeping the Royal Family. However, Britain has had kings and queens for a thousand years – probably they’ll have them for another thousand.

 

v Kings and queens expect to be treated differently from other people. So you’d better know some simple rules in case you bump into a member of the royal family:

 

- Women are expected to curtsy. Men are expected to bow.

- Shake hands if a hand is offered.

- It’s bad manners to meet royalty with gloves on because, in the past, gloves were associated with warfare.

- Until recently it was thought impolite to turn one’s back on the Queen of England. People would walk backwards out of their presence. In certain ceremonies lords and other officials still do.

 

Essential Vocabulary

gradually – постепенно

Her Majesty – Её Величество

by the Grace of God – милостью Божией

realm – королевство

Commonwealth – Содружество (межгосударственное объединение Великобритании и большинства бывших доминионов)

defender of the Faith – защитница веры

staff – штат служащих

paperwork – канцелярская работа

ambassador – посол

bishop – епископ

engagement – встреча, мероприятие

spare time – свободное время

outdated – устаревший

Colonel – полковник

regiment – полк

to bump into – неожиданно встретиться, столкнуться

to curtsy – делать реверанс

to bow – кланяться

warfare – война

to walk backwards – пятиться

 

Try being an MP!:)

Parliamentary Debating

Debate is an exercise in persuasion, wit, rhetoric and logic. In your future life you will face some situations when you will have to think on your feet, be able to oppose and prove logically your point of view. Debates are the best school and practice that will help you develop all necessary skills and become successful in your life and future career.

 

This form of debate is called "parliamentary" because of its vague resemblance to the debates that take place in the British Parliament. The proposition team is called the "Government" and the opposition team is called (appropriately) the "Opposition". The job of the “Government” is to advocate the adoption of the resolution, while the job of the “Opposition” is to refute the resolution.

 

The resolution is usually not established until 10 minutes before the debate round begins, and there is a new resolution for every round of debate.

 

The Government team consists of two debaters, the Prime Minister (PM) and the Member of Government (MG).

 

The Opposition team also consists of two debaters, the Leader of the Opposition (LO) and the Member of the Opposition (MO).

 

Format

 

A round of parliamentary debate consists of six speeches: four constructive speeches (the teams are perceived as laying out their most important arguments) and two rebuttal speeches (the teams are expected to extend and apply arguments that have already been made, rather than make new arguments). The speeches and their times are as follows:

 

 

Speech	Prime Minister (constructive)	Leader of Opposition (constructive)	Member of Government (constructive)	Member of Opposition (constructive)	Leader of Opposition (rebuttal)	Prime Minister (rebuttal)
Time	7 min.	8 min.	8 min.	8 min.	4 min.	5 min.

 

Point of Information.

 

During one person's speech, another debater (presumably from the opposite team) rises from his seat and says something like, "Point of information, sir?" The speaker has the option of whether or not to accept the point of information (it is usually good form to accept at least two points of information in a speech). If he accepts the point, the person who rose may ask a question of the speaker - usually a rhetorical question designed to throw him off. The speaker then answers the question (or ignores it if he can't come up with a good answer) and moves on with his speech. There are two main rules for points of information: they may only be asked in constructive speeches, not in rebuttals; and they may not be asked during the first or last minute of any speech.

 

Point of Order. A debater rises on a point of order when he believes one of the rules of debate is being broken. The most common use of the point of order is to say that the speaker is bringing up a new argument in a rebuttal speech, which is not allowed. The person making the point of order rises, says, "Point of order, argument X is a new argument." The judge makes a judgment as to whether the point of order is valid. If so, he/she says, "point well taken," and the speaker must quit making argument X. If not, he/she says, "point not well taken," and the speaker may continue with that argument if he wishes.

 

Point of Personal Privilege. This rarely used motion has a couple of different uses. The most common is to protest a gross misrepresentation of one's statements or an attack on one's character. For example: "Mr. Jones says he likes lynching black people." "Point of personal privilege! I merely said sometimes the death penalty is justified." As with points of order, it is the job of the judge to rule the point well-taken or not-well-taken.

 

Some useful tips.

ü While having the team-discussion, provide and put down a good number of pros and cons.

ü Try to predict the counter arguments of your opponents and consider how you can defend your ideas.

ü Think of the weak sides of the opposite point of view and get ready to benefit on them.

ü Come up with some factual information like historical examples, quotations etc. Make sure that your facts are true and justified.

ü During the opposite team’s speech put down the arguments they have mentioned and think how you can refer to them during your own speech.

ü Be polite to your opponents, avoid misquoting them or putting their words out of context.

 

GOOD LUCK!:)

Suggested resolutions:

1. Monarchy in the UK is outdated and has to be abolished.

2. National character is no more than a stereotype.