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Go to Anna's Blog for instructions and worksheet

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When did Britain begin to exist as an island?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities. View London's iconic skyline from the top of Tower Bridge, and visit Britain's impressive collections of art and antiquities at the city's world-class museums and delve into the history of the British empire. Why not explore the mystery that is Stonehenge or Loch Ness?

In Northern Ireland, explore the magical Glens of Antrim and the Giant's Causeway, or hunt for the Loch Ness monster in the Scottish Highlands and sample haggis and fine whisky in Edinburgh's restaurants. Visit the historic castles and ancient forests of Wales, try your hand at all kinds of adventurous sports, from ziplining to coasteering or discover the pace and energy of its capital Cardiff.

The United Kingdom is full of bustling cities, historic towns, cosy villages, traditional pubs, contemporary nightlife, epic national parks and gentle countryside, locally grown food, and historic ruins. Historic culture meets modern culture in a mix that is as compelling as it is unique. The only question you need to ask is, where do I start?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities.

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What 4 countries make up the UK?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities. View London's iconic skyline from the top of Tower Bridge, and visit Britain's impressive collections of art and antiquities at the city's world-class museums and delve into the history of the British empire. Why not explore the mystery that is Stonehenge or Loch Ness?

In Northern Ireland, explore the magical Glens of Antrim and the Giant's Causeway, or hunt for the Loch Ness monster in the Scottish Highlands and sample haggis and fine whisky in Edinburgh's restaurants. Visit the historic castles and ancient forests of Wales, try your hand at all kinds of adventurous sports, from ziplining to coasteering or discover the pace and energy of its capital Cardiff.

The United Kingdom is full of bustling cities, historic towns, cosy villages, traditional pubs, contemporary nightlife, epic national parks and gentle countryside, locally grown food, and historic ruins. Historic culture meets modern culture in a mix that is as compelling as it is unique. The only question you need to ask is, where do I start?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities.

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What are the capital cities of the UK?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities. View London's iconic skyline from the top of Tower Bridge, and visit Britain's impressive collections of art and antiquities at the city's world-class museums and delve into the history of the British empire. Why not explore the mystery that is Stonehenge or Loch Ness?

In Northern Ireland, explore the magical Glens of Antrim and the Giant's Causeway, or hunt for the Loch Ness monster in the Scottish Highlands and sample haggis and fine whisky in Edinburgh's restaurants. Visit the historic castles and ancient forests of Wales, try your hand at all kinds of adventurous sports, from ziplining to coasteering or discover the pace and energy of its capital Cardiff.

The United Kingdom is full of bustling cities, historic towns, cosy villages, traditional pubs, contemporary nightlife, epic national parks and gentle countryside, locally grown food, and historic ruins. Historic culture meets modern culture in a mix that is as compelling as it is unique. The only question you need to ask is, where do I start?

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Travel to the four nations that make up Great Britain, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each have their distinctive characters, regions, customs, foods and of course, accents! Walk among the rolling green hills and dramatic coastlines of the South West of England, sample cider in Somerset, or see Premier League games in Liverpool and Manchester, two of Britain's most football-mad cities.

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a) Who is the Queen of the UK?

b) Who is the Queen married to?

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Queen Elizabeth II

Born: 21 April, 1926.

Queen since 6 February 1952

Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on 21 April, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, London. Her birthday is officially celebrated in Britain on the second Saturday of June each year. The day is referred to as " the Trooping of the Colour ", the official name is "the Queen's Birthday Parade".

Queen Elizabeth II is a 'constitutional monarch'*. This means that although she is officially the head of the state, the country is actually run by the government, led by the Prime Minister.

*The English Bill of Rights Act of 1689 curtailed the power of the sovereign and confirmed Parliaments place at the heart of the English constitution. From this date English Monarchs (now British Monarchs) would rule in partnership with Parliament.

Where does the Queen live?

The Queen lives at Buckingham Palace in London.

The Official Title of the Queen

Her Majesty The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is:

' Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'.

When did Queen Elizabeth come to the throne?

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne on February 6, 1952 upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her Coronation, at Westminster Abbey, followed on June 2, 1953.

(A new king or Queen begins to rule as soon as their succession to the throne has been announced. But the coronation - when the crown is placed on the monarch's head - may not happen until months later.)

The queen celebrated her Golden jubilee (50 years since her accession) in 2002.

Head of State

Queen Elizabeth II is the United Kingdom's Head of State. She is queen of 16 former British colonies, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand; and head of the Commonwealth, a multinational body created after the dissolution of the British empire.
Follow this link to find out what jobs the Queen does Who is the Queen married to?
The Queen as married to the HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. They married on 20 November 1947.

The Duke is Queen Elizabeth's third cousin; they share Queen Victoria as a great-great-grandmother.
Find out about The Queen's Children
Why is Queen Elizabeth II's husband a prince rather than a king?

In the British monarchy, the husband of a female monarch does not have any recognized special status, rank, or privileges.

Prince Philip was a prince from birth. He is the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and was born Prince of Greece and Denmark. Upon his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, Philip was given the title "Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merion, and Baron Greenwich," and was made a Knight of the Garter. (He became a British citizen around this time and renounced his Greek and Danish titles). Elizabeth II was coronated in 1953, and in 1957, she granted Philip the title "Prince of the United Kingdom."

What is Queen Elizabeth's surname?

The Queen does not normally use a surname (she doesn't need a passport or a driving licence for example), but on the few occasions where it has been necessary, i.e. when serving with the ATS during World War II, she has used the surname ' Windsor'.
(source: www.royal.gov.uk)

The British royal family changed their last name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917. Why? World War One broke out in 1914 and anti-German sentiment was its height in 1917. In protest, King George V renounced all the German titles belonging to him and his family and adopted the name of his castle, Windsor.

From 8 February 1960, all The Queen's descendants who do not bear the "style, title or attribute of HRH, and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess" have the name of Mountbatten-Windsor. (Mountbatten as Prince Philip's surname).

Royal Homes

Among the official royal residences are Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St. James Palace, Balmoral Castle, Frogmore House, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sandringham House and Kensington Palace.

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Queen Elizabeth II Born: 21 April, 1926. Queen since 6 February 1952 Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) was born on 21 April, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street, London. Her birthday is officially celebrated in Britain on the second Saturday of June each year.

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a) What 3 flags make up the national flag of the United Kingdom?

b) What is another name for the Union flag?

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A flag containing three other flags.

The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom (UK)

The Union Flag, popularly known as the * Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is the British flag.

It is called the Union Flag because it symbolises the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom. It is made up up of the individual Flags of three of the Kingdom's countries all united under one Sovereign - the countries of 'England, of'Scotland' and of ' Northern Ireland' (since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom). As Wales was not a Kingdom but a Principality it could not be included on the flag.

The following pages will tell you how the Union Flag (Union Jack) came to be the UK's national flag and the making of the United Kingdom.

( Click on the arrow below)

References
* "It is often stated that the Union Flag should only be described as the Union Jack when flown in the bows of a warship, but this is a relatively recent idea. From early in its life the Admiralty itself frequently referred to the flag as the Union Jack, whatever its use, and in 1902 an Admiralty Circular announced that Their Lordships had decided that either name could be used officially. Such use was given Parliamentary approval in 1908 when it was stated that "the Union Jack should be regarded as the National flag"."

So - "...the jack flag had existed for over a hundred and fifty years before the jack staff..." If anything the jack-staff is named after the Union Jack - and not the other way around!
The Flag Institute website www.flaginstitute.org

Historian David Starkey said in that Channel 4 tv programme that the Union Flag is called 'Jack' because it is named after James l of Great Britain ( Jacobus , Latin for James), who introduced the flag following his accession to the throne.

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British Flag - The Union Jack (Union Flag) UK

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A flag containing three other flags. The Union Flag - the flag of the United Kingdom (UK) The Union Flag, popularly known as the * Union Jack, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is the British flag. It is called the Union Flag because it symbolises the administrative union of the countries of the United Kingdom.

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a) What's the difference between Great Britain and the UK? Watch the video

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How to understand the difference between the UK and Great Britain

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Learn the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain.

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Name 3 of the top 10 Royal Attractions in the UK

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From the historic city of Bath to the Jurassic Coast, Britain has breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites of great beauty and historic importance.

World Heritage Sites are considered of 'Outstanding Universal Value' and have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee. Outstanding Universal Value transcends national boundaries and enriches not only our present but the lives of future generations.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has 26 cultural, 4 natural and 1 mixed sites in 2017. There are further 11 sites on the tentative list.

You can visit 4 sites and 1 potential site in London: the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, including St Margaret's Church; the Tower of London; Maritime Greenwich; the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Darwin Landscape Laboratory (tentative).

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From the historic city of Bath to the Jurassic Coast, Britain has breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites of great beauty and historic importance. World Heritage Sites are considered of 'Outstanding Universal Value' and have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee.

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a) What happens every year in Glastonbury?

b) Which festivals should you go to if you like rock and indie music?

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VisitBritain would like to invite you to take part in a short survey about our website, it should take no more than a couple of minutes.

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a) Where might you eat haggis?

b) Where might you eat cawl?

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Where was the poet William Shakespeare born?

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From art and literature to music, museums and more, Britain has an amazing array of cultural attractions and destinations. Time to soak up on some culture!