1. Political system, history and outstanding people
Great Britain
Political system, history and outstanding people

2. Great Britain What is Britain politically? What does it mean?
What do you know about the royal family?
What are the monarch’s duties?
Do you know any other kings or queens from the past?
What do you think of the concept of monarchy?

3. Great Britain constitutional monarchy – the head of state is a monarch
today – Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952)
very little political power
representative role (symbolic, ceremonial)
the head of judiciary and the Church of
England, Commander-in-Chief

4. Queen’s duties appoints the Prime minister
formally opens the Parliament every autumn
signs the laws
her face on all notes and coins
symbol of British traditions

5. Government the head of the government is the Prime Minister
today – Theresa May (since July 2016)
her seat – 10 Downing Street (since 1731)
two main political parties:
Conservative Party (right wing)
Labour Party (left wing)

6. Parliament the seat – the Houses of Parliament (Westminster Palace)
two houses
the House of Commons (651 members - MPs)
most powerful, decides national policy
elected every 5 years
the House of Lords (1203 members)
members are not elected, aristocracy in the UK
life peers (they are members, but their sons/daughters can’t be, usually former members of the House of Commons)
the Lords Spirituals (judges and bishops)
hereditary peers (the heads of aristocratic families)

7. History - settlement The Celts (700-400 BC) The Romans
first people who came to Britain
The Romans
43 AD – they conquered the island
built many roads, towns, 1st bridge in London
Hadrian’s Wall – built by Emperor Hadrian to defend Roman territories
The Anglo-Saxons (5th century)
came from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands
legendary King Arthur – their greatest hero, the Knights
of the Round Table
The Vikings (8th century)
came from Scandinavia
built many fortresses
Alfred the Great – the first king of England

8. History The Battle of Hastings (1066)
between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy (known as William the Conqueror) and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold II, during the Norman conquest of England
the Normans won
The Black Death
an epidemic of plague spread by rats all over Europe
arrived in England in 1348 and
killed as much as a third
to half the population
(people with this disease coughed
up blood, got large painful black
spots on their bodies)

9. History The War of Roses (1455 - 1485)
a period of fighting between the most powerful families at that time: the House of Lancaster (red rose) and the House of York (white rose) for the throne of England
the result – Henry Tudor (Lanc.) defeated Richard III (York) and became the king of England (Henry VII), he married Elizabeth of York =>united the two sides and ended fighting
The Great Fire of London (September 2-5, 1666)
started in a bakery in Pudding Lane and destroyed 70% of the city (the fire spread very quickly because of a strong wind, the streets of the City were very narrow, wooden
houses)
St. Paul’s Cathedral – destroyed, rebuilt
by Sir Christopher Wren

10. Britain was involved in both wars in 20th century
World War I and II
Britain was involved in both wars in 20th century
The Blitz
periods of intense bomb attacks by German planes on British cities
London badly damaged during WWII, many people died
King George VI and the Queen Mother

11. Outstanding people in British history

12. William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings– 1066
became the king of England
introduced feudal system
built many castles (the Tower)

13. Henry VIII very important English king (the House of Tudors)
had 6 wives
the Pope refused to give him the
necessary permission for the
divorce so he took England out
of the Roman Catholic Church
and made himself head of the
Church of England =>
beginning of Protestantism in
England

14. Elizabeth I ruled the country from 1558 to 1603 (the House of Tudor)
regarded as one of the England’s
greatest rulers
extremely strong and clever woman
who controlled the difficult
political and religious situation
of the time
during her reign – strong economy
she never married

15. Oliver Cromwell
was an English military and political leader (17th century)
after the execution of king Charles I in 1649, a republic was declared (for 11 years) => Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland

16. Queen Victoria ruled GB from 1837 to 1901
second longest rule of any British king or queen
during her reign – Britain’s greatest period of world power and industrial development
was named the Empress of India
married her cousin Prince Albert, had 9 children

17. Winston Churchill
was a UK politician, prime minister from (WW II),
regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century
also a historian, a writer, an artist
the only British Prime Minister to have received the Nobel Price in Literature
he first person to be made an honorary citizen of the USA

18. Margaret Thatcher
the Prime Minister of the UK ( ) and the Leader of the Conservative Party ( )
the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century
a Soviet journalist called her the ‘Iron Lady’ (associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style)

19. Famous royal families – match the monarch with the family
The House of York (15th century)
The House of Tudor (16th- beg.17th century)
The House of Stuart (17th century)
The House of Windsor (20th century)
Henry VIII
James I
George V
Richard III
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth II