A video released last night by Kensington Palace shows the Prince taking his best shot in a game against actress Hannah Waddingham – only to miss the board entirely.

‘Cut!’ the Prince joked, while Waddingham said to the cameras: ‘Can we get a close-up on this?’

The nine-minute sketch was filmed last week at the legendary Alexandra Palace in North London, where the World Darts Championship begins today, to promote Prince William’s new environmental documentary, The Earthshot Report, which was shown on BBC1.

‘Welcome to my palace,’ said Waddingham as the Prince arrived at the venue, which hosted his first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in 2021. ‘What a wonderful palace it is,’ he responded.

Dressed in plastic-free trainers by the British brand HEVEA and a casual blue jumper, the Prince, 42, appeared relaxed as he threw darts with Waddingham, 50, and sipped a pint of cider at the bar.

Indeed, the game appeared to bring back memories of his time as a student at St Andrews University, where he has previously admitted to being a darts regular.

‘Don’t let us start a drinking game, we’ll be here all day doing that as well,’ joked William.

‘What on earth is your obsession with seaweed all about?’ she asked, leading William to talk about the prize winner Notpla, which makes food packaging from plants and seaweed.

The Prince also explained how the prize was about ‘trying to stay positive about it [climate change] rather than negative’.

‘That’s where the [idea for the] award ceremony came from, to celebrate talent and solutions, rather than tell people, “Don’t do this or don’t do that.”

‘You have to be so careful because there’s been a lot of that.’

Perhaps throwing a verbal dart at his brother Prince Harry, who has come under fire for using private jets, William added: ‘I don’t want to preach… I want to find solutions.’

source: Daily Mail

Match the words with definitions!

1. entirely
2. to preach
3. to appear
4. sketch
5. to hit the bullseye
6. to sip
7. heir to the throne
8. venue
9. obsession
10. close-up
11. to release
12. seaweed

1. a type of plant that grows in the sea and can be used in food or as a natural product.
2. a quick drawing that captures the main features of a subject without much detail.
3. a person who is next in line to become king or queen
4. to come into sight or become visible to others.
5. a photograph or view taken at a very short distance, showing details clearly.
6. a place where an event, such as a concert or meeting, takes place.
7. to achieve exactly what you aimed for, especially in a competition or target practice.
8. completely and without any part left out; fully.
9. to drink something slowly by taking small amounts at a time.
10. to let something go or set it free from control or confinement.
11. a constant and often unhealthy preoccupation with a particular idea or activity.
12. to deliver a religious message or moral lesson to an audience, often in a formal way.

Key: 

1 h
2 l
3 d
4 b
5 g
6 i
7 c
8 f
9 k
10 e
11 j
12 a

Royal fans gush over ‘beautiful’ Kate Middleton in latest public appearance. 

As the 2024 Olympic Games came to an end last night, royal fans were delighted when they spotted the Princess of Wales in a video celebrating the success of TeamGB.

Fans of the Royal Family were delighted when, during the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, “beautiful” Princess Kate put in a surprise appearance.

Last night millions watched as the two-week event came to a close as Tom Cruise jumped from the top of the Stade de France, before riding a motorcycle through the crowd to collect the Olympic flag and take it back to Los Angeles for 2028. During the night there was a celebration for Team GB’s performance during the games, as the athletes collectively won 65 medals – including 14 golds.

Among those to sing their praises was the Prince of Wales in a video introduced by Snoop Dogg. Alongside William was wife Kate, making a rare public appearance as she continues to fight her shock cancer diagnosis.

She said in the clip: “From all of us watching from home, congratulations to TeamGB.” William added: “Well done on all you achieved.”

The clip came as a surprise to royal fans, who gushed their delight at the Princess’s appearance. One said: “Lovely to see you both looking so healthy! Thank you for this.” Another added: “Cheers Team GB! Princess Catherine as usual still very beautiful and Prince William wow! I’m loving the facial hair! Very handsome.”

Another shared: “Kate looks incredible, wishing you great health soon. Missing you in action.” One more said: “Fantastic video and how beautiful to see the princess Catherine so pretty and the prince William so relaxed.”

Also to appear in the video were the likes of David Beckham, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Rebecca Adlington, Emma Willis and Snoop Dogg. The Prince and Princess wrote on Twitter : “Well done TeamGB, what an incredible journey! Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion.

source: Mirror.co.uk

source: Changes to British Royal Titles Since the Death of Queen Elizabeth II, UsefulCharts, YouTube

TV chef Mary Berry has said she is “proud and honoured” to be made a Dame Commander for services to cooking, writing and baking.

Dame Mary was honoured on Wednesday by the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

As well as her 50-year culinary and broadcasting career, the honour also recognises her charity work.

The 86-year-old former Bake Off judge recently had surgery after breaking her hip following a fall in the summer.

Yet she was able to attend the ceremony alongside husband Paul Hunnings, a retired antiquarian bookseller.

Speaking after her latest royal engagement, she said: “I’m extremely proud and honoured. I just wish my parents were here – they’re looking down and my children are quite excited.

“My aim is to pass on the skill that I love so much, because everybody has to cook each day. Whether it’s a student or whatever it is, you’ve got to feed yourself so why not learn to do it well and enjoy it.”

After studying cooking in France and the UK, Dame Mary worked for a number of food industry bodies and wrote recipe pages of Housewife magazine.

Her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, was published in 1970 and she has gone on to write more than 50 others, selling millions of copies around the world.

She became a household name to a new generation of cake lovers thanks to her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, alongside Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

In her latest upcoming BBC series, the veteran broadcaster will come to the rescue of novice cooks hoping to impress a loved one.

Aside from cooking, Dame Mary has committed herself to charity work down the years. Her youngest son William was killed in a car crash at the age of 19, after which she became a patron of Child Bereavement UK.

“Whether it’s the siblings who are left or the husband or the wife, it’s a hand to hold and to realise other people are in the same boat.”- she said.

source (article; video; picture): BBC News; Royals take on the roulade challenge with Nadiya and Mary Berry!, A Berry Royal Christmas, BBC, Youtube; Mary Berry ‘very thrilled’ to be honoured with damehood, The Independent, Youtube

interesting facts:

A Brit Birodalom Rendje (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) 1917. június 4-én V. György király által alapított brit lovagrend. A rendnek öt polgári és katonai fokozata van, a legmagasabb rangtól a legalacsonyabbig ezek a következők:

Knight Grand Cross (GBE) vagy Dame Grand Cross (GBE) – lovag nagykereszttel

Knight Commander (KBE) vagy Dame Commander (DBE) – lovagparancsnok

Commander (CBE) – parancsnok

Officer (OBE) – tiszt

Member (MBE) – tag.

source: Wikipedia

A cikk elolvasása után egészítsd ki az összefoglalót a zárójelben lévő igék megfelelő igeidőbe és szerkezetbe (cselekvő vagy szenvedő) tett alakjával.

1. Dame Mary …….. (to honour) on Wednesday by the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle
2. As well as her 50-year culinary and broadcasting career, the honour also ………(to recognise) her charity work.
3. The 86-year-old former Bake Off judge recently ……. (to have) surgery after breaking her hip following a fall in the summer.
4. Yet she ….(to be) able to attend the ceremony alongside husband Paul Hunnings, a retired antiquarian bookseller.
5. After studying cooking in France and the UK, Dame Mary ……. (to work) for a number of food industry bodies and wrote recipe pages of Housewife
6. Her first cookbook, The Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook, ….. (to publish) in 1970 and she …….(to go) on to write more than 50 others, selling millions of copies around the world.
7. She …… (to become) a household name to a new generation of cake lovers thanks to her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, alongside Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.
8. In her latest upcoming BBC series, the veteran broadcaster ……(to come) to the rescue of novice cooks hoping to impress a loved one.
9. Aside from cooking, Dame Mary ….. (to commit) herself to charity work down the years. Her youngest son William …..(to kill) in a car crash at the age of 19, after which she …… (to become) a patron of Child Bereavement UK.

keys/megoldások:
1. was honoured;
2. recognises;
3. had;
4. was;
5. worked;
6. was published; has gone;
7. became;
8. will come;
9. has committed; was killed; became

The Duke of Cambridge turned 39 on Monday and was treated to warm wishes from his extended royal family

It’s another turn around the sun for Prince William!

The Duke of Cambridge celebrated his 39th birthday on Monday, the second day of celebrations after Father’s Day on Sunday with wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, 39, and their three children: Prince George, 7, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.

Birthdays are usually an occasion for the royals to share rare glimpses into their sentimental moments and private lives away from their royal duties.

Early Monday morning, Prince Charles, 72, shared two candid photos in honor of his oldest son’s birthday on the official Clarence House Instagram page.

“Wishing The Duke of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday today! 🎂 ,” Charles wrote, captioning a black-and-white shot of himself holding a then-baby William and another photo featuring the father of three sitting with Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at an event.

On the Royal Family official Twitter account, the Queen celebrated her grandson’s birthday sharing several photos. In addition to two solo shots of the prince, the tribute also featured a photo of William and Kate laughing together during a public outing and a family snap of the royal couple with kids while on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

“Wishing The Duke of Cambridge a very Happy Birthday today! #HappyBirthdayHRH,” the Twitter message read.

William then thanked friends, family and followers for the well-wishes on his special day.

“Thank you for all the birthday wishes and kind messages 🎂,” he shared on the official Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Instagram page

Last year was a double-barrel celebration as William’s birthday also happened to fall on Father’s Day. Ahead of the day, Kate shared two new photos she had taken earlier that month, featuring William in his most casual, family-man mode ever.

In fact, one of the photos was so striking, it caught the attention of top royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who’s been capturing members of William’s family since before he was born in the 1970s.

“The picture that I love most that she’s done is William and the three children on the swing,” Edwards revealed earlier this month. “I would have killed to have taken that picture.”

He continued, “Everybody’s laughing at their mum, and you know that only a mother or a father could get that picture, and it’s an absolute winner. Charlotte with her arm around daddy, you know, ‘daddy’s girl.’ It’s a lovely picture, I was so full of praise for her on that.”

On Sunday, ahead of William’s birthday, the prince celebrated Father’s Day with George and Charlotte, helping to kick off a half-marathon at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate.

Together the trio – who were all dressed casually for the outing – helped count down the start of the race and also cheered on all of the runners. William was also seen holding hands with his two children as they made their way to the stage.

William and Kate also shared a special Father’s Day tribute on Instagram to celebrate the June holiday.

A post on their official social media account showed a bulletin board pinned with the words “Happy Father’s Day” alongside a never-before-seen photo of William and his kids, as well as shots of his father Prince Charles and Kate’s father Michael Middleton.

The sentimental message also included a photo of William’s late grandfather Prince Philip. “Wishing fathers everywhere a happy Father’s Day,” read the caption of the post.

William has two more important birth dates approaching: He’ll be joined by his brother, Prince Harry, at Kensington Palace to unveil a new statue dedicated to their late mother Princess Diana on July 1, which would have been her 60th birthday. Then on July 22, Prince George celebrates his 8th birthday.

source (article, video and pictures): People; Prince William Is 39! Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth Share Sweet, Candid Photos, PEOPLE, Youtube

https://www.eslbuzz.com/20-creative-ways-to-say-happy-birthday/

 Most pedig nézzünk meg, hogyan is kívánhatunk még boldog születésnapot angolul!

1. Many happy returns of the day!
2. Don’t count the candles, just enjoy the glow!
3. Hope you have an enjoyable birthday! You deserve it!
4. All the best!
5. Many more happy returns!
6. I wish you a wonderful birthday!
7. May your birthday be filled with laughter!
8. I hope this day is as special as you are!
9. I wish you all the best on your special day.
10. I hope you have a fantastic day and a fantastic year to come.
11. Wishing you a day that is as special as you are.
12. Have a fabulous birthday!
13. Wishing you many more candles to blow.
14. All the best on your special day!
15. May you have a fantastic day and many more to come!
16. I wish you a happier birthday than anyone else has wished you.
17. Happy oldies birthday.
18. If somebody says you’re old, hit them with your walking stick! Have a great day!
19. It’s time to celebrate!
20. Happy anni-birth-sary!

source: eslbuzz and 7els

The Duke of Cambridge said he took solace in the Scottish countryside after his mother’s death and spoke about meeting his wife.

Prince William has told how both his happiest and saddest memories have taken place in Scotland.

The Duke of Cambridge said he was at Balmoral, the Queen’s Aberdeenshire home, when he found out his mother Princess Diana had died.

Giving the opening address at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the duke revealed how he found comfort and solace in the Scottish countryside in those “dark days of grief” in 1997.

But he also said Scotland is where he met his wife 20 years ago while they were at the University of St Andrews, which he said was a memory of “great joy”.

The Queen appointed William as Lord High Commissioner to the assembly, which is taking part mainly online with a small number of people at Edinburgh’s Assembly Hall.

He said: “Scotland is a source of some of my happiest memories but also my saddest.

“I was in Balmoral when I was told that my mother had died. Still in shock, I found sanctuary in the service at Crathie Kirk that very morning and in the dark days of grief that followed I found comfort and solace in the Scottish outdoors.

“As a result, the connection I feel to Scotland will forever run deep.

“Alongside this painful memory is one of great joy because it was here in Scotland 20 years ago this year that I first met Catherine.

“Needless to say, the town where you meet your future wife holds a very special place in your heart.

“George, Charlotte and Louis already know how dear Scotland is to both of us and they are starting to build their own happy memories here too.”

Talking about St Andrews, he said he spent four “very happy and formative years” there with the town and students leaving him alone “to get on with student life, allowing me to share their freedoms – and their pubs”.

“Scotland is incredibly important to me and will always have a special place in my heart.

“I’ve been coming to Scotland since I was a small boy.

“As I grew up, I saw how my grandmother relishes every minute she spends here and my father is never happier than in walking among the hills.

“My childhood was full of holidays having fun in the fresh air, swimming in lochs, family barbecues with my grandfather in command, and yes the odd midge.”

Over the next few days, the assembly will consider several issues, including proposals to reduce the number of presbyteries and the number of full-time ministry posts.

William began a week-long visit to Scotland on Friday, with the Duchess of Cambridge joining him on Monday.

source (article and picture; video): Sky News; Duke of Cambridge found ‘comfort and solace in Scottish outdoors’ after mother’s death, The Telegraph, Youtube

A cikk elolvasása és a videó megnézése után, válaszd ki az egyes mondatkezdéseknél, hogy csak az egyik befejezés igaz (A), esetleg mindkét befejezés igaz (AB) a megadott opciók közül az olvasottak/hallottak alapján.

1. Giving the opening address at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the duke revealed how he found …
   A. comfort and solace in the Scottish countryside in those “dark days of grief” in 1997.
   B.”great joy” in Scotland.
2. Their children …
   A. already know how dear Scotland is to both of their parents.
   B. are beginning to collect their own happy memories there.
3. During his four years at St Andews’, Price William …
   A. was allowed to enjoy the pubs.
   B. was given less freedom.
4. The young William could see …
   A. her grandma enjoy every moment she spent in Scotland.
   B. her father take pleasure in walking among the hills.
5. He loved the family barbecues in Scotland where …
   A. his grandma was in the centre of attention.
   B. his grandpa was the boss.

keys/megoldások: 1. AB; 2. AB; 3. A; 4. AB; 5.B

As the third in line to the throne, the son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has lived something of a fairy tale existence thus far. From roaming the Queen’s 770-odd-room palace to being exempt from the Freedom of Information act, the cherub-faced royaltot, who has already mastered the art of the royal wave, is not your average three-year-old.

Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge has also exerted a great deal more influence than most toddlers. Well, at least according to Tatler, who listed Prince George at number 10 in their league table of “People Who Really Matter”.

Here is a selection of the most astounding and bizarre privileges and powers enjoyed by Prince George.

His home has ten bedrooms

While Prince George’s exact wealth is unknown as of yet, it would be fair to say his family are not exactly strapped for cash. Richest Celebrities predict his father’s net worth to be in the region of $40 million.

Prince George lives in Anmer Hall, an 18th-century mansion which was given to his parents by the Queen as a wedding gift. Prince William and Kate Middleton are reported to have spent several million refurbishing the secluded Georgian ten-bedroom country Norfolk property, which is also home to a swimming pool and a private tennis court. Housekeepers, collectible china and family silver are likely to be aplenty too.

But if Prince George bores of his Norfolk home, he is always welcome at the 775-roomed Buckingham Palace. While the monarch might be known as the Queen to most of us, her great-grandson calls her “Gan Gan” and she is said to leave out little gifts for her great-grandchildren whenever they pay a visit. Of course, it goes without saying that whenever Prince George leaves royal premises, he will be surrounded by a swathe of security.

He is exempt from the Freedom of Information act

Unlike the rest of society, the Royal Family are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Brought in by Tony Blair in 2000, the act created a public right of access to information held by public authorities. The only public body exempt from this is the Royal Family.

He has a coin and stamp dedicated to him

Most of us will never get to see our faces printed on coins or stamps but Prince George has already managed it at age three. As soon as he was born, a specially-minted commemorative £5 coin was brought out in his honour and is now priced anywhere between £13 and £50,000. The more expensive ones contain a kilogramme of fine gold each.

If a coin wasn’t enough, in April of this year, Royal Mail released a new stamp with an image of Prince George standing on foam blocks in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace along with his family.

He received a £18,000 cottage on wheels for his second birthday

Most toddlers would be thrilled to receive a luridly-coloured plastic house for their birthday. Prince George’s parents, however, went one step further and gifted him a real £18,000 cottage on wheels for his second birthday. The luxury Victorian-style outhouse is situated on the edge of the Prince of Wales’s wildflower meadow at Highgrove.

He could sack the whole of Australia if he became King

If Prince George does indeed become King he will be entitled to a vast array of age-old secret powers and privileges more extensive than most of us could even fathom. From appointing knights, to being immune from prosecution, to not having to pay tax, to having a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister and holding dominion over every British swan, there wouldn’t be much he couldn’t do. What’s more, being the head of the commonwealth and thus the state in Australia, he would technically be able to give the whole Australian government the sack if he felt like it.

He is already playing tennis

Prince George currently attends the fee-paying Westacre Montessori nursery in Norfolk but his parents are reported to already be drawing up a shortlist of potential schools for him. Wetherby School – where his father went – is a possible option but they will have to act soon as the Good Schools Guide advises parents to register children on the month of their child’s birth. What’s more, while he might have learnt to walk only relatively recently and be barely big enough to hold a racket, his mother says he has already started playing tennis.

His clothes come from the royal collection

You don’t get many toddlers who make it onto GQ’s “50 Best Dressed Men in Britain” but Prince George gained a spot on their list in 2015. While it is hard to predict how much his royal clothing is worth, it is unlikely to be cheap given that his parents have delved into the historic royal collection of clothes. On several occasions, he has worn the identikit outfits Prince William wore when he was young.

But when he does occasionally rough it and wear non-designer wear it tends to prompt either a hike in sales of each item or even cause an item to sell out.

source: Independent

Ha szeretnél még további érdekességeket olvasni a királyi családról, ajánlom figyelmedbe a következő könnyített olvasmányt: 

William és Kate párosát mutatja be ez a Level 1 (újrakezdő szinttől, 700 szóval) szinten íródott könyv, amelyhez CD is jár! 

Ára: 1700 Ft

Princes Harry and William met the cast and crew of Star Wars 8 as they were shown around the super secretive set. William, who has just returned from a tour of India and Bhutan, and his brother were guided by The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley, who plays heroine Rey.

During the tour they chatted to crew, played with lightsabers and Harry met a new best friend in the form of a giant, hairy creature. He broke royal protocol by hugging the huge beast – played by Joonas Suotamo – before his brother had a cuddle too. Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, and John Boyega, who plays Finn, were also on set with director Rian Johnson on hand to answer any questions.

Prince William admitted he was a “total geek” over the franchise, and he challenged his brother to a duel with lightsabers. They also checked out props such as animatronic heads and robot BB8 before posing for a group photo to mark the occasion.

Kensington Palace thanked the Star Wars cast and crew for playing host to the Princes.

They got together for a group picture to celebrate the end of the tour, which the palace said was aimed at recognising the wealth of British creative talent involved in the production of the Star Wars films.

source: mirror.co.uk

Prince William, second in line to the throne of the oldest constitutional monarchy in the world, began his six-week paternity leave after the birth of his second child, Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge. But what exactly is he on leave from?

The 32-year-old Duke of Cambridge does, in fact, have a job. The former Royal Air Force pilot took a position with Bond Air Services, the “largest operator of air ambulance aircraft in the UK,” which began March 30. Drawing on his roughly five years of experience in search and rescue, he’ll be piloting helicopter-based rescue missions for the East Anglian Air Ambulance this summer. According to British news reports, he’ll be earning around £40,000 a year—just slightly more than the London median of around £35,000 and less than double the national median of £22,000 (His wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, doesn’t work outside of her royal duties and charity involvement). That’s hardly enough to support one adult human, living with roommates in a less-than-desirable part of London, let alone a growing family. What’s more, William will reportedly be donating his income to an undisclosed charity.

So how do Will, Kate, George, and Charlotte live? Where does their money come from? And how much work does Prince William really do?

Prince William doesn’t really have to work: He is worth an estimated $40 million, none of it earned on his pilot’s salary. His mother, Princess Diana, died on August 31, 1997, leaving behind an estate then valued at £21 million (about $31.5 million), or roughly £17 million after estate taxes. The bulk of this was left to William and his younger brother Harry, held in trusts until their 30th birthdays, although they each began receiving the interest and investment income from their trusts when they turned 25. When William reached his mid-20s, that income was estimated to be around £250,000 to £300,000 annually; their lump sum payments when each brother turned 30 was approximately £10 million (about $16 million).

William’s father, Charles, is the Prince of Wales, and thus is the lucky beneficiary of the Duchy of Cornwall, a vast land and investment holding that has been the hereditary right of his title since 1337. It’s from this estate, which includes an unfathomable 53,154 hectares of land in 24 counties, that Charles earns most of his money—according to the 2014 Annual Review, the Heir to the Throne took in £19.5 million (nearly $30 million) from the Duchy. (He does pay income tax on his Duchy earnings, at a rate of 45 percent, but the Duchy does not pay corporation tax). Charles in turn supports William and family, and Prince Harry, in their public and royal duties; the total cost for supporting them all, including paying for their official staff, was £2.89 million from 2013 to 2014, according to the 2014 Annual Review.

There are a few bills that the taxpayers foot. Will and Kate and their growing family live rent-free in Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A, at least part of the time. The Palace, located at the western edge of Hyde Park and among some of the most expensive real estate in London, underwent a £4.5 million renovation before the couple moved in. Much of the renovation, utilities, and general upkeep are paid for by the taxpayers via the Sovereign Grant, the roughly £40 million allotted to members of the royal family for their care and maintenance. The couple’s travel costs are met by the Sovereign Grant, and their 24-hour security detail is provided by Scotland Yard, London’s municipal police force.

But how many work hours does he actually log? Not many, according to Republic, campaigners for a “democratic alternative to monarchy”. They say that William only worked 47 full days in the year after he left the RAF. Even worse, they say, a number of those so-called “royal duties” he performed included parties, trips to the movies, church visits, dinners, and visits to sporting events or theme parks.

Source: mentalfloss

Find the words in the text that can be used to fill in the gaps in these sentences.

1. The boy spends a lot on his hobbies and his father …………… the bill.

2. I can’t remember the exact amount we paid but it was …………… five thousand.

3. I always helped him with his homework and …………… he bought me ice-cream.

4. The rent of the flat was high but we didn’t have to pay for the …………… .

5. This tree is …………… to be two-hundred years old.

6. The children were having a lot of fun at the …………… .

7. The …………… for the repairs at the garage was higher than I expected.

8. We took out a loan for the fridge because we didn’t have to pay any …………… on it.

9. He was very tired of …………… all his duties.

10. They have …………… elections in the city every five years.

Key:

1. foots

2. roughly

3. inturn

4. utilities

5. estimated

6. theme park

7. bill

8. interest

9. performing

10. municipal

With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge due to welcome their second child late April the name Elizabeth is proving to be the favourite among bookmakers.

Bettingopened on the name and gender of royal baby number two just hours after Clarence House confirmed that Kate Middleton was pregnant.

The Duchess has insisted that the sex of her second child will remain a surprise, but it is girls’ names that currently dominate the bookies’ five top spots for royal baby names, with Elizabeth, Charlotte, Victoria, Alexandra and Alice the shortest-priced bets.

The current favourite for a boy is James, which is the name of the Duchess’s brother. Henry and Diana also feature in the top ten, but bookmakers haven’t ruled out the possibility that the royal couple might opt for a new name rather than a tried and tested royal favourite.

Some are offering odds on the names Tracey, Tyrone, Mohammed and Joffrey. Others are taking bets on the baby’s hair colour and the colour of dress Kate Middleton will wear when she leaves the hospital (top three are currently red, white and blue).

Odds on Kate having twins plummeted from 20/1 to 9/1 and were then suspended at William Hill in September after it reportedly received about 200 bets on the arrival of twins, including “a significant gamble” made in York. Ladbrokes is still offering 3/1 on twins, 100/1 on triplets and 500/1 on quads or more.

The exact due date has not been announced, but it is thought to be in late April. The Guardian notes that the baby could come as a birthday surprise for the Queen on 21 April, a wedding anniversary surprise for the Duke and Duchess on 29 April or, if it is late, could arrive on election day on 7 May.

Here are the top ten names, according to OddsChecker:

Elizabeth
Charlotte
Victoria
Alexandra
Alice
James
Diana
Arthur
Henry
Daniella

Can you finish the sentences?

1. The royal baby is probably due ……………….. .

2. The most favourite name on the bookmakers’ betting list is …………. if it is a girl, …………… if it is a boy.

3. The ………….. of the baby is a secret.

4. The baby may come as a ……………… for the Queen on …………….. .

5. The Duke and Duchess celebrate their …………….. on 29 April.

6.  7 May is ……………. day this year in the UK.

Key:

1. late April
2. Elizabeth, James
3. gender
4. birthday surprise , 21 April
5. wedding anniversary
6. election