HAVE THE ENGLISH FINALLY LEFT THEIR

ISLAND MENTALITY BEHIND?

For the English, it was a shame and bad taste to be an alien, and it is no use pretending otherwise... "A criminal may improve and become a decent member of society. A foreigner cannot improve. Once a foreigner, always a foreigner." Thus wrote George Mikes, a native Hungarian imported by the BBC, in How To Be An Alien (1946), before dishing out a few hints to anyone bold enough to apply for British nationality:

"Deny that you know any foreign language (including your mother tongue)" and "the works of Dostoyevsky should be replaced by a volume on British Birds..." But nowadays, is there hope for the Englishman outside of his natural habitat?

 

CAST IN THE SAME MOULD

Born out of the nation's very specific history and geography, and moulded by such unique traditions as driving on the left and the cult of gardening, not to mention male-only cricket clubs, the image of the Englishman hasn't changed for generations. He may have sailed across all the seas of the planet, but he remains firmly anchored to his native isle. From Voltaire, a staunch Anglophile, to Margaret Thatcher, one and the same vision seems to govern the delicate relationship between Albion and the Continent. Ian Buruma's book, Voltaire's. Coconuts (1999), sends up Great Britain as the island of liberty that lies opposite Europe, that dark, despotic Continent.

Even from a technological point of view, the country that saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution was wary of entering the age of modernity as soon as it was a question of being linked to Europe. The journey from Paris to London (600km) required at least half a day's travelling for many a year, aboard sluggish trains and rolling ferries. Not until 1994 did the Franco-Anglo-Belgian consortium launch the Chunnel and bridge that 30-kilometre gap between Britain and France. Even if some prominent Englishmen continued to raise their voices in protest while the tunnel was being dug! Back in the early days of Eurostar, rumour had it that, in case of an invasion, it would still be possible to flood the tunnel on the English side...

 

CHANGE OF DIRECTION

But now, after long having enjoyed a privileged relationship with America, Britain is gradually turning towards the Continent (be it at its own speed), gently steered by Tony Blair, who regards Britain's place in Europe as a unique occasion to play a dominant role on the world stage. Cunning tacticians that they are, though, the English are waiting to see if the single currency will work and if its national characteristics will be respected within the federal set-up. Especially as the nation's lifestyle has advanced, in the meantime, in leaps and bounds. London is now home to a population that can speak 300 different languages. It has become the European capital of multiculturalism, and draws tourists from across the globe with... its cooking and world music. Today, bridges are being built across Europe as never before. While the idea of the "green, green grass of home" advocated by an elitist layer of society locked in the past is still popular, England, the land of contrast, is busy redefining its image. On the sunny beaches of Spain, France and Greece in summertime. In the Bangladeshi restaurants down Brick Lane and in the clubs of London, Manchester and Birmingham all the year round...!

WORD STUDY

I. Match the following proper names with relevant characteristics:

I.England a) a staunch Anglophile

2.Europeb) the island of liberty

3. Great Britain c) the dark, despotic Continent

4.London d) the country that saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution

5. the English e) cunning tacticians

6. Voltaire f) home to a population that can speak 300 different languages

g) the European capital of multiculturalism

h) the land of contrast

 

Ш COMPREHENSION

I. Say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct them if necessary.

1. The English have been traditionally suspicious of foreigners.

2. Voltaire admired England and the English.

3. In comparison with Europe, Great Britain has always been more liberal.

4. The journey from Paris to London has always been very comfortable.

5. The British welcomed the launch of the Chunnel.

6. Britain has at last turned away from America to Europe.

7. The British are not particularly willing to give up their currency.

8. The British lifestyle has drastically changed over the past decades.

MONARCHY

Vocabulary

accession (n) ~ to the throne

bill (n) a criminal justice ~

a "green" ~

to introduce a ~

to bring forward a ~

to pass a ~

ceremony (n) lack of colour and —

ceremonial (adj) ~ events

to perform the ~ duties consort (n)

the ~ of a king/queen

constitution (n)

constitutional (adj)

constitutionalism (n)

constitutionally (adv)

democracy (n)

democrat (n)

democratic (adj)

democratically elected

election (n) to hold an ~

to call a general ~

to be defeated at an ~

ermine (n,adj,v) an ~ robe

to assume the ~

to wear the ~

He was robed in ~

exhibit (v) to ~ calm determination under very difficult circumstances

to ~ quiet heroism

to ~ variation figure

head (n)

govern (v) to be ~ed in the name of the Queen

government (n) to run ~

dictatorial ~

governor (n) Governor-General

heir, heiress (n) the ~ to the throne

inherit (v)

inheritor (n)

heritage (n.)

inheritance (n)

law (n) written ~, English ~, primogeniture ~

to embody the ~

to become ~

to be above the ~

to make ~s

under the present ~

legal (adj) ~ experts

to institute a ~ framework for...

legally (adv) ~ wrong

monarch (n) legal authority of the ~

monarchy (n) the grandeur of ~

the institution of ~

~'s public image

to abolish the ~

(Syn.: to sweep away)

to be affectionate to ~

nation (n) a ~ of gardeners and housewives

national (adj) ~ pride

~ identity¹

~ character

a symbol of— unity

pageantry (n) Syn.: pomp and circumstance

Parliament (n) to summon ~

to dissolve ~

to open ~

the State Opening of-

Member of- (MP/MPs)

parliamentary - year (adj)

peer, peeress (n)

power (n) to shift the ~ to

to take the - from

to exercise -

to have great - over sth

to strip the monarchy of all ~s

the ~s rest with the PM

Queen (n) to become ~

~ Regnant

regent(n)

reign (n, v) in the-of Queen Victoria

to - with the consent of (the House of Lords)

revere (v) to ~ the giants of English science and philosophy

royal (adj) -institutions

~ style

~ weddings/funerals

- assent to (a bill)

to give the - assent

(Ant.: to refuse)

"the royals" (= the Windsors)

royalist (adj) anti— opinions

royalty (n) to lower the prestige of—

scandal (n) to talk scandal

scandalous (adj) — means

subject (n) - of Her Majesty the Queen

succession (n) the order of —

~ to the throne

throne (n) to take over the —

to succeed to the –

top-ranking (adj) - advisers

truism (n) it is a ~ that...

turmoil (n) political and social —

 

Phrases

to fill (ministerial) positions

to request a dissolution of Parliament

to threaten the stability of the country

a burning issue

to look up to (the royal family)

to be exempt from (taxation)

to pay taxes on one's income

to raise money

to face danger with (equanimity)

to be intellectually ambitious and unconventional

to make sacrifices in the common good

to dig for victory

to be to one's enrichment

Lo remain in tune with (theге modem world)

to come under scrutiny

to survive ups and downs (in one's popularity)

to value (one's individualism) quite highly

to place great emphasis on (individual differences)

to tend to be trend-setters in life-styles

lo cook "from scratch"

to act on the advise (of the ministers)

to pay official visits overseas

to attach the highest priority to

to be consulted on (every aspect of national life)

Notions to be remembered

the "Way Ahead" committee

Accession Council

the Privy Council

the Privy Purse

the Civil List

the Royal Regalia

the Commonwealth

THE ROYAL FAMILY

Name	Birth	Marriage	Issue	Divorce
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales	14 Nov. 1948	29 Jul 1981	Lady Diana Spencer	Prince William of Wales Prince Henry of Wales	28 Aug 1996
9 Apr 2005	Camilla Parker-Bowles
Princess Anne, Princess Royal	15 Aug. 1950	14 Nov 1973	Mark Phillips	Peter Phillips Zara Phillips	28 Apr 1992
12 Dec 1992	Timothy Laurence
Prince Andrew, Duke of York	19 Feb. 1960	23 Jul 1986	Sarah Ferguson	Princess Beatrice of York Princess Eugenie of York	30 May 1996
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex	10 Mar.	19 Jun 1999	Sophie Rhys-Jones	Lady Louise Windsor Viscount Severn

The Sovereign

'Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.'

The Queen is the official Head of State and, for many people, a symbol of the unity of the nation. For a thousand years England (and later the whole of the UK) has been united under one sovereign, a continuity broken only after the Civil War, by the republic of 1649 to 1660. The hereditary principle still operates and the Crown is passed on to the sovereign's eldest son (or daughter if there are no sons).

The Queen has a central role in state affairs, not only through her ceremonial functions, such as opening Parliament, but also because she meets the Prime Minister every week and receives copies of all Cabinet papers. However, she is expected to be impartial or 'above polities', and any advice she may offer the Prime Minister is kept secret.

Functions of the Sovereign

• opening and closing Parliament

• approving the appointment of the Prime Minister

• giving her Royal Assent to bills

• giving honours such as peerages, knighthoods and medals

• Head of the Commonwealth

• Head of the Church of England

• Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces

 

The Royal Family

Britain, one of the few remaining monarchies in the world, has been continuously ruled by a king or queen since the 9th century, except for a brief period from 1649 to 1660, when Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of the Common­wealth.

The present sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II, has been on the throne since 1952. Her official royal title is 'Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith'. Her husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and their four children are Prince Charles, who has the title Prince of Wales, Princess Anne, called the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, who is the Duke of York, and Prince Edward. The Royal Family also includes the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, and their mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the widow of George VI. The eldest son (or, if there is no son, the eldest daughter) of the monarch is heir to the throne; so Prince Charles is due to succeed his mother on her death or if she abdicates.

Although the Queen personifies the state, and is nominally commander-in-chief of all armed forces as well as 'supreme governor' of the Church of England, it is the government hat actually governs in her name. It is said that the Queen 'reigns, not rules' in aconstitutional monarchy. The Queen participates in a number of formal acts. As the sovereign she summons or dissolves Parliament, gives royal assent to Bills by Parliament (so that they become Acts), confers peerages and knighthoods, and appoints many important office holders, such as government ministers (including the prime minister), judges, officers in the armed services, diplomats and bishops. The sovereign also grants a royal pardon to a person who is shown to have been wrongly convicted of a crime, but all these acts are performed only at the request of the government in power. The sovereign has no power to act independently.

The Queen and other members of the royal family carry out a number of official duties throughout the year. Some of them, such as the Trooping of the Colour or the State Opening of Parliament, involve considerable ceremony and pageantry. Other typical duties include visiting different parts of the country to open new buildings such as hospitals or schools, awarding prizes, and attending special charity or sporting events. Such royal visits are reported daily in the 'Court Circular' in The Times and some other papers.

Trooping the Colour takes place on the Queen's 'Official Birthday' (the second Saturday in June), and this is also when the Birthday Honours are announced. These are the titles and awards conferred by the Queen on the advice of the government to people who are . judged to have earned them, and include knighthoods and awards such as Commander of the British Empire (CBE) and Order of the British Empire (OBE). Similar awards are also announced in the New Year Honours list.

The cost of fulfilling these duties is paid from the Civil List, an annual sum granted to members of the royal family by Parliament. Parliament also pays for the cost of maintaining the Royal Yacht, which is used for royal visits abroad, and the Royal Flight (the aircraft similarly used).

The Queen's chief official residence is Buckingham Palace in London, which was originally bought in 1761 by George III Other royal palaces in Britain, used mostly for holidays, are Windsor Castle, near London, Sandringham House in Norfolk, and Balmoral Castle, near Braemar in Scotland.

The Queen and other members of the royal family, especially the Queen Mother, who celebrated her 90th birthday in 1990, are generally regarded with respect and even affection. Prince Charles is admired by many people for expressing his often controversial views (notably on modern architecture and education) and for his positive aims and ambitions for the future of Britain.

The Monarchy