Royal Wedding

Vocabulary

Monarch – the King or Queen of a country

To propose – to ask someone to marry you

To be engaged – when you are going to marry someone, after they have proposed to you

Wedding – the ceremony when people marry each other

The current monarch of the United Kingdom is Queen Elizabeth II. When she dies, her son King Charles will become King, and after him it will be his son Prince William.

Last week, Prince William got engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Kate Middleton. Prince William is the son of Princess Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997, and Prince Charles.

The announcement was very important news, and it dominated British television and newspapers for a couple of days. Some people thought that other stories should have been given more coverage instead of focusing just on the royal engagement.

Prince William gave his fiancée his mother’s engagement ring. It is made from sapphire and diamond. He said she will be in big trouble if she loses it! The couple became engaged several weeks ago on holiday in Kenya. Prince William proposed on top of a mountain

The wedding will take place next year, probably in early summer. The event will be on television, and if it is on a weekday, it is probable that it will be given as a public holiday.

Some people are angry that the royal wedding will be taking place in a time of economic gloom. They think the wedding will cost the taxpayer a lot of money, and are demanding that the royal family pay for the wedding themselves.

Questions:

After Queen Elizabeth II, who will be the next two people to inherit the throne?

Who are Prince William’s parents?

When will the wedding take place (most likely)?

Do you think the taxpayer should fund the wedding?