- •1. Geographical position and climate of Great Britain
- •2. Outstanding writer/poet of the United States of America
- •3. Roman invasion and classical element in the English language
- •Philosophy, mathematics and physics – diameter, fundamental, momentum, proposition, radius;
- •Words pertaining to law and government – alibi, affidavit, judicial, veto;
- •4. National symbols of the usa
- •1) Flag of the United States of America
- •2) The national emblem
- •3) The National Anthem
- •4) The Coat of Arms
- •5) The Statue of Liberty
- •6) The Liberty Bell
- •7) The bald eagle
- •8) Symbols of the usa government: Figures of Justice
- •9) Uncle Sam
- •5. Scandinavian Invasion and Scandinavian borrowings
- •6. The Life of British Youth
- •7. Political parties of the usa
- •9. Political system of Great Britain
- •10. Sports in the usa
- •11. National symbols of the uk
- •12. The first universities of the uk
- •13. Who the britons are
- •14. The most important event in the history of the usa
- •15. Higher education in Great Britain
- •16. Prominent people of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland queen elizabeth I (1533-1603)
- •17. A “typical” British family life
- •18. Three main periods
- •19. The Anglo-Saxon Invasion
- •20. Norman Conquest of the British Isles and Norman-French borrowings
- •21. Languages of the United States
- •22. Релігія у сучасній Британії (Religion in today’s Britain)
- •23. Stratification in the British society
- •24. National and public holidays in the usa
- •25. Court system of Great Britain
- •26. Celtic invasion and celtic borrowings
- •27. Food and drinks in the usa
- •28. Music and folklore in Great Britain
- •29. Traditional ceremonies in london
- •Inside Buckingham Palace
- •The Queen’s Day
- •An Invitation to the Palace
- •Changing the Guard
- •30. Big cities of the usa new york city
29. Traditional ceremonies in london
Inside Buckingham Palace
There are two addresses in London that the whole world knows. One is 10 Downing Street, where the Prime Minister lives. The other is Buckingham Palace. This famous palace, first built in 1703, is in the very centre of London. It is two places, not one. It is a family house, where children play and grow up. It is also the place where presidents, kings, and politicians go to meet the Queen.
Buckingham Palace is like a small town, with a police station, two post offices, a hospital, a bar, two sports clubs, a disco, a cinema, and a swimming pool. There are 600 rooms and three miles of red carpet. Two men work full-time to look after 300 clocks. About 700 people work in the Palace.
The Queen’s Day
When the Queen gets up in the morning, seven people look after her. One starts her bath, one prepares her clothes, and one feeds the Royal dogs. She has eight or nine dogs, and they sleep in their own bedrooms near the Queen’s bedroom. Two people bring her breakfast. She has coffee from Harrods, toast, and eggs. Every day for fifteen minutes, a piper plays Scottish music outside her room and the Queen reads the Times.
Every Tuesday evening, she meets the Prime Minister. They talk about world news and have a drink, perhaps a gin and tonic or a whisky.
An Invitation to the Palace
When the Queen invites a lot of people for dinner, it takes three days to do the washing up. Everybody has five glasses: one for red wine, one for white wine, one for water, one for port, and one for liqueur. During the first and the second courses, the Queen speaks to the person on her left and then she speaks to the person on her right for the rest of the meal. When the Queen finishes her food, everybody finishes, and it is the time for the next course.
Changing the Guard
One of the most impressive and popular displays of royal pageantry is changing the Guard, which takes place every day, including Sunday, at 11.30.
The troops who take part are selected from the five regiments of Foot Guards. Their numbers are dependent on whether the Queen is in residence or not. These form the famous Brigade of Guards, and they consist of the Grenadiers, the Coldstream Guards, and the Welsh, Irish and Scots Guards.
Each regiment has two colours – a royal one and a regimental one. The royal colour can be seen only when the Queen is at home. Sometimes the colour is decorated with a laurel wreath. The laurel wreath signifies the anniversary of a battle in which the regiment was engaged.
The history of Foot Guards goes back to 656, when Charles II of England, during his exile in Holland, recruited a small bodyguard. This bodyguard was made a regiment later on. It became the first bodyguard for the Sovereign. It acquired the title of Coldstream after it had marched from Coldstream, near Brewick-upon-Tweed when fighting against Cromwell.
The Brigade of Guards serves as a personal bodyguard to the Sovereign. When the Queen is in residence at Buckingham Palace, there is a guard of four sentries. Only two are on duty when she is away from London.