UK & THE BRITISH ISLES

THE BRITISH ISLES One country ?

What are the British Isles? The British Isles consists of 5 countries : England Wales Scotland Northern Ireland The independent Republic of Ireland. + 6000 islands (Hebrides, Shetlands, Orkneys etc.)

What is Great Britain? Great Britain or Britain is an island and it consists in: Scotland Wales England

What is the United Kingdom - UK ? The United Kingdom consist in 4 countries: England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland. The capital of UK is London but it is the capital of England too.

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SHORT SUMMARY

Together they all make the UK flag The Union Jack is composed of 3 flags in one: The UK flag: This is the flag of Wales: The name of the red Dragon is: Y Ddraig Goch in celtic tradi- tions.

The Royal coat of Arms of the UK This is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. In the middle there is a shield divided into 4 parts. You can see the harp of Ireland on the left, and there are 3 lions above. On the left of the shield there is a lion with a crown. On the right there is an unicorn, symbolizing Scotland. The motto of the English monarchs is «Dieu et mon droit» The motto of the Order of the Garter is «Honi soit qui mal y pense»

WHO IS THE BRITISH QUEEN ?

The British Royal Family The surname of the British Royal Family is Windsor. They changed their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor in 1917 . They are members of the Church of England and they live at Buckingham Palace. Members of family : Queen Elizabeth II of England . Her husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . Her children are: Prince Andrew, Duke of York - Prince Charles of Wales - Princess Royal Anne - Edward Earl of Wessex . She has got 8 grandchildren : Prince William of Wales, Prince Harry of Wales; Peter Phillips, Zara Phillips; Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York; Lady Louise Windsor, Viscount Servern.

The Queen’s role Her position Her official role The Commonwealth She is the head of the Commonwealth. It’s an organization of former British colonies. Her official role She can't create rules, she can't choose anything in economic and politic life of England. At Christmas, for her birthday and for Prince Phillip’s birthday, she talks to the British people on TV. The Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth represents the British Islands in other countries. She is the head of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Only the queen can declare a war or stop it. The queen is the head of the army forces. Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England. Sometimes, the queen organises Royal Garden parties. It’s a big party because 8000 people are invited

Who runs the country ?

How is Britain governed? The former Prime Minister wass David Cameron. The new Prime Minister is Theresa May Traditionally the residence of the Prime Minister is at 10 Downing street in London. In Great Britain there are 2 major parties: The Labour Party The Conservative Party.   David Cameron chooses a team of people in the parliament to run the country with him.

House of Lords House of Commons The United Kingdom is a parliamentary democracy. The Queen’s powers are limited. She reigns but she does not govern. The House of Commons and the House of Lords meet in the House of Parliament near the river Tames. The building is very large, and beautiful. There are more than thousand rooms. In the House of Lords, there are 675 members and in the House of Commons there 659 members.    House of Lords House of Commons