British Royal family

Read the fragments of different texts concerning the British monarchy and the Queen of the United Kingdom. Choose the correct answer.

British Monarchy. Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom. The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a king or queen           [has acted, act, is acting, acts] as Head of State. This means that, while The Sovereign is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the British Sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, he or she                [continues, continue, continued, was continuing] to play an important part in the life of the nation. As Head of State, The Monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these State duties, The Monarch           [has, have, is having, had] a less formal role as “Head of Nation”. A constitutional monarchy also provides stability, continuity and a national focus, as the Head of State remains the same even as governments change. As a constitutional monarch, the Sovereign must remain politically neutral.
Queen Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth II was the United Kingdom’s Head of State. She was a queen of 16 former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand; and head of the Commonwealth, a multinational body created after
the dissolution of the British empire. Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary)               [has been born, is born, born, was born] on 21 April, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, London. Her birthday was officially celebrated in Britain on the second Saturday of June each year. The day is referred to as “the Trooping of the Colour”, the official name is “the Queen’s Birthday Parade”. The official title of the Queen in the UK was: “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.
Queen Elizabeth II (5)               [has ascended, ascend, ascended, was ascending] the throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her Coronation, at Westminster Abbey, followed on June 2, 1953.
The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V                [renounced, renounce, was renouncing, has renounced] all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.
Members of the Royal Family supported The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability.
King and Government. The King is the Head of State of the British government and used to rule the world, although its ruling powers have been cut short. Still, it remains very popular and respected and is considered as one of those richest
royal families in the world. As the Head of State, the King            [holds, hold, is holding, has held] audience with the Prime Minister every Tuesday of the week in order to keep close contact with him. This occasionally happens when he is in London. There’s a special relationship between the king and whoever that is the Prime Minister irrespective of his or her political party, although the king remains politically neutral, he            [plays, play, playing, is playing] a role in the mechanics of calling a general election.
King and the Armed Forces. The King as Sovereign is Head of the Armed Forces. The Queen Elizabeth II was also the wife, mother and grandmother of individuals either having served, or are currently serving, in the Armed Forces. The Queen was the only person              [is declaring, to declare, declaring, has declared] war and peace. This dates back from when the Monarch was responsible for raising, maintaining and equipping the Army and Navy.
Royal Homes. Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of Holyrood House, Sandringham House and Kensington Palace. Buckingham Palace is the King’s official and main royal London home. It          [was been, is, has been, was] the official London residence of Britain’s monarchy since 1837.

Read the text “Princess Diana”. Choose the correct option.
PRINCESS DIANA
Princess Di, as she later         [became, becomes] known to her adoring public, was
born The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer, the youngest daughter of Edward
John Spencer, the eighth Earl of Spencer, Viscount Althorp and Frances Spencer,
Viscountess Althorp.
Diana, Princess of Wales,          [has born, was born] on July 1, 1961 near Sandringham, England.
Born Diana Spencer, Princess Diana became Lady Diana Spencer after her father           [inherits, inherited] the title of Earl Spencer in 1975.
Lady Diana was educated first at a preparatory school, Riddles worth Hall at
Diss, Norfolk, and then in 1974 went as a boarder to West Heath, near Sevenoaks,
Kent. At school she             [was showing, showed] a particular talent for music (as an accomplished pianist), dancing and domestic science, and gained the school’s award for the girl and giving maximum help to the school and her schoolfellows.
She left West Heath in 1977 and went to finishing school at the Institut Alpin Videmanettein Rougemont, Switzerland, which she left after the Easter term of 1978. The following year she           [has moved, moved] to a flat in Coleherne Court, London.
Diana was a kindergarten teacher in London when she caught the interest of Prince Charles. She      [won, wins] the hearts of a nation with her shy smiles and natural beauty. The whole world watched the fairy tale royal wedding in 1981. A year later, on June 21, 1982, she gave birth to Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, the first of her two sons. He was joined by a brother, Prince Henry Charles Albert David –        [famous, known] widely as “Prince Harry” – more than two years later on September 15, 1984.Princes William and Henry (Harry), are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom. In 1992 Diana and Prince Charles separated and in 1996 they divorced. She then       [loses, lost] the privilege of being called Her Royal Highness and she was called Diana, Princess of Wales.
But even after the divorce, Diana maintained a high level of popularity. She devoted herself to her sons and many charities and important causes. She highlighted the suffering of the homeless, lepers and AIDS victims. She also            [campaigns, campaigned] for the abolition of landmines and many countries banned them.
Diana died in a car crash after trying to escape the paparazzi in Paris on the night of August 31, 1997.News of her sudden, senseless death             [has shocked, shocked] the world. Thousands turned out to pay tribute to the “people’s princess” during her funeral procession. The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey, which was broadcast on television. Her body                  [later buried, was later buried] at her family’s estate, Althorp. At her funeral, British Prime Minister Tony Blair        [named, called] her the “People’s Princess”. To many, she was simply the “Queen of Hearts”.
Continuing her charitable efforts is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Established after her death, the fund               [was providing, provides] grants to numerous organizations and supports initiatives to provide care to the sick in Africa, help refugees, and stop the use of land mines.

Read the text “Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge”. Fill the gaps with the words:

KATE MIDDLETON – CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
parents mother public throne importance breakdown media wife charity children engagement art influential
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (born Catherine Elizabeth “Kate Middleton”; 9 January 1982) is the _      of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Middleton grew up in Chapel Row, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, England.
She studied     history in Scotland at the University of St Andrews, where she met William in 2001. Their            was announced on 16 November 2010 before they married on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey. The occasion was a        holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. The build-up to the wedding and the occasion itself attracted much       attention, with the service being broadcast live around the world, and being compared and contrasted in many ways with the 1981 marriage of William’s         , Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. Much of the attention focused on Kate Middleton’s status as a commoner marrying into royalty.
The Duke and Duchess have three          : Prince George (born 22 July 2013), Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (born 2 May 2015) and Prince Louis of Wales (born 23 April 2018) who are respectively third ,fourth and fifth in line to the British        . Her perceived impact on British and American fashion has been called the “Kate Middleton effect” in the media, and in 2012 and 2013, she was selected as one of the “100 Most             People in the World” by Time magazine.
The Duchess certainly has professional requirements and duties to tend to each week, including meetings with advisors, researching         visits, and tending to public correspondence. She carried out Royal duties in support of The Queen through engagements at home and overseas, alongside a portfolio of charitable work and patronages. The Duchess has drawn attention to the            of supporting the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children, the impact of addiction on children and families, and the necessary measures to support children suffering from family           . She does this through supporting a number of organisations as their Royal Patron, lending her support to projects, and though her programme of official engagements. On top of her professional duties and personal priorities, the Duchess of Cambridge is a wife and a        .