source: Comparing The Crown’s Accents Vs. The Real Royals, MsMojo, YouTube

It marks a significant milestone for the future king, who is rapidly stamping his authority on the British royal family by plotting a course between tradition and modernity.

Not long ago he spoke of his desire to end homelessness in the UK after taking to the streets of London to sell The Big Issue.

“I was 11 when I first visited a homeless shelter with my mother, who in her own inimitable style was determined to shine a light on an overlooked, misunderstood problem,” he wrote.

The prince also shared a photograph on Father’s Day of him laughing with his children during a family holiday in Jordan, yet another shift from the more formal images in which the royals are usually feature.

“It’s a very important milestone for him because, with his father Prince Charles, he’s stepping up to support the queen, and also to continue to create an identity as the future king,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams has told AFP.

Such is Prince William’s popularity that many want him to leapfrog his father and become king when his grandmother dies.

Since the 96-year-old sovereign began winding down her duties due to ill health and old age last year, second-in-line to the throne Prince William has been an increasingly influential figure.

The prince accompanied his father when the queen missed the State Opening of Parliament in May.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are “the monarchy’s future, that was underlined at the balcony appearance at the end of the jubilee” celebrations to mark the queen’s record-breaking 70-year reign, Mr Fitzwilliams said.

The duke’s time has been devoted to the family since giving up his role as a helicopter ambulance pilot in 2017.

Significantly, he is expected to move out of London’s Kensington Palace and into a four-bedroom cottage, described as modest, on the grounds of the queen’s Windsor Castle home west of London where she spends most of her time.

The move will allow him to be closer to the queen and strengthen his role in the family’s inner sanctum, commentators say.

While he is becoming more committed to his royal duties, he is also determined to provide a normal life for his three children.

This is partly driven by his own childhood, which was marked by the trauma of his parents’ public separation and divorce, and the death of his mother Princess Diana in a car accident in 1997 when he was only 15.

His mother’s influence is evident in his more modern outlook, which led to him breaking with the traditions of royal fathers, getting his hands dirty with nappy changing and helping the older two children with homework.

The prince is also keen to carry on his mother’s legacy of helping society’s most vulnerable members, hence The Big Issue connection.

Prince William was “moulded” by the “traditional queen” during Sunday lunches at Windsor when he was studying at the elite Eton College nearby, said Marc Roche, author of several books on the British monarchy.

But “among William’s assets, there is … perhaps due to the influence of his mother, a great sensitivity to diversity and the environment”, Roche said.

But Prince William recognises the need to modernise the age-old institution to enable it to survive after Elizabeth II.

“One of the things that William is particularly concerned with is the image of the monarchy and how it moves forward,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.

source: Prince William turns 40 with enhanced role in UK royal family by Paul Carey, The National News UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed their second child – a baby daughter named Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Harry and Meghan announced that the infant, a first sibling for Archie, was born on Friday in California.

Lili is named after her great-grandmother the Queen – who was affectionately nicknamed Lilibet by her family – and her grandmother, the late Princess Diana.

Lili is the first of the Queen’s great-grandchildren to be born outside the UK.

The couple said in a statement: “It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world.

“Lili was born on Friday June 4 at 11.40am in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.

“She weighed 7lbs 11oz (3.5kg). Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home.

“Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty, The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

“Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales.

“This is the second child for the couple, who also have a two-year-old son named Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

“The Duke and Duchess thank you for your warm wishes and prayers as they enjoy this special time as a family.”

Harry and Meghan, who are now on parental leave, also said on their Archewell website: “On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili.

“She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we’ve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.”

The new baby is the Queen’s 11th great-grandchild – poignantly the first of the monarch and Prince Philip’s great-grandchildren to be born since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh in April.

The nickname Lilibet was first used when Princess Elizabeth was a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly.

Her grandfather, King George V, would affectionately call her ‘Lilibet’ imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The nickname stuck and from then on, she became Lilibet to her family.

Reacting to today’s baby news, Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills said: “We knew they were expecting a daughter because they announced it during that interview with Oprah back in March.

“This completes their family, now adding a daughter to their son Archie who celebrated his second birthday in May.

“But, of course, it has been a difficult time for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, a huge amount of attention on them.

“I think what’s interesting is that the child was born on Friday and they have decided to take a little bit of time before announcing to the world that they have a new child in their life.

“And I think it’s a sign of how they want to do things differently. They moved away from the UK, they didn’t want to be settled into that royal life anymore.

“They wanted to embark on this new financially independent way of life and again this is them showing how they want to do things. Wonderful news for the couple that they now have a daughter in their life.”

Mills added: “A really lovely nod, that name Lili after Her Majesty, The Queen.

“And the middle name Diana showing how important Princess Diana was to Prince Harry as he was growing up as a young child, but also lost her at such a young age.”

Lili will be entitled to be a princess and Archie a prince – both with HRH styles – when the Queen dies and Prince Charles becomes king.

This is because they will have moved up the line of succession to become the children of a son of a monarch.

Despite Harry and Meghan quitting as senior working royals, the baby still has a place in the line of succession.

Lily is eighth in line to the throne, coming after Archie, who is seventh in line, and before Prince Andrew, who has dropped to ninth place.

source (article; video and picture): Sky News, BREAKING: Harry and Meghan name baby girl after the Queen and Princess Diana, Sky News, Youtube

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

A videó megnézése után találd meg a megkezdett mondatok befejezését a mondatoknál található három opció egyikével.

source: (video, pictures): An Afternoon with Prince Harry & James Corden, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Youtube

At the start of 2017, the 20th anniversary year of Princess Diana’s death, Princes William and Harry announced that they had commissioned a statue to honour her legacy. And today the brothers provided an update on the statue saying that it will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace next year on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday.

In a rare joint statement since the brothers decided to go their separate ways in their working lives, Kensington Palace issued the following message on behalf of the princes:

“The statue that Prince William and Prince Harry have commissioned to commemorate their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, will be installed next year on what would have been her 60th birthday.

The statue was commissioned to mark the 20th anniversary of her death and recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world.

The statue will be installed in the Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace on 1st July 2021, marking the Princess’s 60th birthday. The princes hope that the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on their mother’s life and her legacy.”

It is understood that the design stages of the project have been progressing but installation has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The brothers announced towards the end of 2017 that they had chosen artist Ian Rank-Broadley to carry out the work. He is known for his effigy of the Queen which appears on UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998.

“Ian is an extremely gifted sculptor and we know that he will create a fitting and lasting tribute to our mother,” the brothers said in a joint statement at the time.

source: by Victoria Murphy, Town&Country magazine

A cikk elolvasása után válaszolj az angol kérdésekre a szöveg alapján röviden, angolul.

1. What will happen in Sunken Garden of Kensington Palace next year?
 

2. How old would Princess Diana be next year?
 

3. Why was the statue commissioned?
 

4. How many years ago did Princess Diana die?
 

5. What do the Princes think the statue will make visitors do?
 

6. Why has the installation of the statue been delayed?
 

7. What other work is the sculptor of the statue known for?

key/megoldások:

1. a statue of Princess Diana will be installed
2. 60 years old
3. to mark the 20^th anniversary of her death, her positive impact on the UK and the world and to honour her legacy
4. 20
5. it will make them reflect on Princess Diana’s life and legacy
6. because of COVID-19 pandemic
7. for his effigy of the Queen on UK and Commonwealth coinage since 1998