The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Have you noticed all the Union Jacks that have recently appeared in the streets of London? Have you noticed people looking excited about having two bank holidays next week? Do you know why?

It’s because London is getting ready to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II (normally called ‘the Queen’) became monarch on 2nd June 1952 when she was only 25 years old. This makes her the second longest-serving monarch after Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years.

Today's blog from one of our trainers, kate is going to explain what is The Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

To mark the occasion, the government has decided to give everyone a four day weekend from 2^nd – 5^th June.

There are lots of events planned for the weekend all around the country but particularly in London where the Queen will celebrate the occasion. In fact there’s a real buzz around the city at the moment because of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the up-coming Olympics.

The opinion of the Queen and the Monarchy in the UK is quite divided but I think that overall most people respect and admire the Queen for the service she has given to her country even if they don’t agree with the Monarchy itself. Some people also believe that the money being spent on the celebrations (as well as the Olympics) would be better spent on improving public services or reducing government debt but I think most people will be celebrating this weekend because after all it’s a good excuse to have a party and it’s a great time of the year to have a long weekend. (Please note that both Westcroft Square and Holland Park School will be open on Monday and Tuesday).

I’ll leave you with a few facts about the Queen so you can impress you friends.

• Britain has had twelve Prime Ministers during the Queen’s reign.
• Tony Blair was the first Prime Minister to have been born during The Queen's reign. He was born in early May, 1953 - a month before the Coronation.
• The Queen’s favourite breed of dog is the Corgi. She has owned thirty corgis during her reign and currently has three, named Monty, Willow and Holly.
• The Queen sends telegrams to every British person who reaches 100 years old

By Kate

Glossary

Union Jack (compound noun) – the red, white and blue flag of the UK

bank holiday (compound noun)  – an official holiday when most banks and businesses are closed

diamond Jubilee (compound noun) – the day exactly 60 years after an important event / special occasion to celebrate this

monarch (n.) – a king or queen

reign (v, n.)  - to be the king or queen of a country

to mark the occasion (col.) – to celebrate the special time / event

a real buzz (adj+ n.) if there is a real buzz around a place there is lots of noise and activity

up-coming (adj.) – coming soon in the future

admire (v.) – to have a feeling of respect for

public services (adj.+n.) The services provided to the government to the public such as healthcare or the police

government debt (adj.+n.) The money the government has borrowed and must repay

impress – (v.) – if someone or something impresses you you have a positive opinion of them or it