Written by: Bondarenko Valeria & Mukhametshina SofiaTeacher: Bondarenko O. V.

The British Queens

A research question:

WHICH QUEEN IN THE HISTORY OF BRITAIN WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE?

- searching for information;

- reading different information sources;

- analyzing facts and historic events;

- comparing different data.

Methods of investigation:

The best known are

Results obtained:The British history knows several queens.

Jane Grey

Mary I

Elizabeth I

Victoria

Elizabeth II

Nickname: The Nine Days' Queen

Period of reign: 9 days (10-19 July 1553)

Family: husband - Gilford Dudley

Personality: a Protestant

Achievements: none

Lady Jane Grey (1537-1554)

Interpretation of results:

Jane Grey was a queen of the tiniest reign.

Her claim for the throne was just in vain.

Hardly had she any chance to become great,

Through execution she gained the unhappiest fate.

Nickname: Bloody Mary

Period of reign: 5 years (1553-1558)

Family: husband- Philip II of Spain

Personality: a strong Catholic

Achievements: restored Roman Catholicism

Mary I (also Mary Tudor) (1516-1558)

During Mary’s reign Protestants were persecuted.

Nearly 300 of them were executed.

By being burnt they were put to death.

Thus Mary Tudor was the cruelest.

Her cruelty in history won the fame,

Of Bloody Mary she got the name.

Interpretation of results:

Nickname: Virgin Queen/Good Queen Bess

Period of reign: 45 years (1558-1603)

Family: none

Personality: a very strong woman, educated , intelligent,

courageous, determined, could rule as well as any man, was

interested in fashion and theatre, looked favourably on Protestants.

Elizabeth I (1533-1603) - the last Tudor ruler

Achievements:

• the Spanish Armada was defeated

• Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was

murdered

• England became extremely powerfulMary I Stuart

Interpretation of results:

This queen could rule as well as any man,

But to stop religious arguments nobody can.

To put an end to plots she gave an order

Her rival, Queen of Scots, to murder.

Though her position as a monarch wasn’t stable,

Still the Spanish Armada to defeat she was able.

The last Tudor ruler was interested in fashion

And for the theatre she also had passion.

William Shakespeare at that time wrote his stories

To please one of the most glorious queens in history.

Nickname: the Grandmother of Europe

Period of reign: 64 years (1837-1901)

Family: husband- Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (died in1861)

children – nine

Victoria (1819-1901)

Achievements:

• wrote the book «Our life in the Highlands»

• the monarchy won more respect than it had had previously

• the growth of the British wealth and industry

• the height of the British Empire

Personality: a happy, dutiful and extraordinary popular

sovereign and mother, declaring moral and religious values,

with a high sense of duty and loyalty to her people and a

genuine sympathy for her poorer subjects

She was the monarch of the longest reign.

Her husband died to leave her sorrow and pain.

But she recovered to become a respected queen

Who made the monarchy more popular than it had ever been.

Victoria’s life set an example of family values.

About this her book «Our life in the Highlands» can tell us.

«She was a virtuous sovereign», said a historian.

Such way of life was called «victorian».

Victorian wealth and industry grew with all their might

And the British Empire approached its height.

So as it can be obviously seen

Victoria was the most successful queen.

Interpretation of results:

Title: 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 Commonwealth,

Defender of the Faith.

Period of reign: 62 years (since 1952)

Family: husband – Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

children - four

Personality: a wise sovereign; love for dogs,

horse-riding, travelling

Achievements: preservation of monarchy

values

Elizabeth II (born 21 April 1926) - the present British monarch

Interpretation of results:

She does her best to fulfill her mission.She keeps through years the monarchy tradition.She is too busy to be idle.She is a queen with the longest title.

The point is that every queenWas as unique as before had never beenThey tried to do and did their bestTo remain in history as «the most» and «the -est».

Conclusion:

EACH OF THE QUEENS DESERVES TO BE SPOKEN ABOUT WITH THE USE OF SUPERLATIVES.

Use the superlative degree of the following adjectives complicated, glorious,

successful, unhappy, popular, tiny, cruel to speak about these queens:

1. Jane Grey was a queen of the reign with the fate.

2. Mary I (Tudor) was the queen because she caused death to many

people.

3. Elizabeth I was one of the monarchs because Britain

defeated the Spanish Armada under her rule.

4. Queen Victoria was the and monarch

because Britain became prosperous and flourishing during her reign.

5. Elizabeth II is a queen with the title.

Appendix. Activity sheet.

tiniest……………. unhappiest ……………….………

most complicated

……………..cruelest

………………………..most glorious

……………………….most popular …………………………...most successful

…………………………...

Thank you for your attention