This year we celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s platinum jubilee. A jubilee is an anniversary,
a time to celebrate something important. This year, it’s the seventieth anniversary
of Queen Elizabeth the second’s accession to the throne of the United Kingdom. This means
she became the Queen seventy years ago, on the sixth of February nineteen fifty-two, to be exact,
after her father died. So the Queen acceded to the throne seventy years ago this year - 2022
‘To accede’ just means to take up an office or position.
Like many things associated with the royal family, it’s a very formal word, usually reserved for royalty or high office.
'Throne' is this - a highly decorated, ceremonial chair for a monarch or other important person. We also use
the word ‘throne’ figuratively, to mean a position of power, so to take the throne or accede to the
throne means to become king or queen, but also, figuratively, to start to hold power.
The Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations started in February 2022
and will go on to February twenty twenty-three to commemorate seventy years after she was crowned
Queen 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. That’s her official title! Wow! That’s a mouthful! This is a crown,
so ‘to be crowned’ means to become a king or queen. It can also just mean to win a competition.
Queen Elizabeth the second was crowned on June the second nineteen fifty-three, which makes
her the longest reigning British monarch ever! ‘To reign’, no not this kind of rain, this kind of reign, means to
hold royal office, or simply be the queen or king.
Our beloved Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations include a four day weekend for people who live in
the UK at the beginning of June! Whoo hoo! And to celebrate, her subjects are throwing street
parties and planting trees for the jubilee. There was even a competition, judged by the queen of
The Great British Bake Off herself, Mary Berry to find the best new dessert or pudding called
‘The Platinum Pudding’ competition which ordinary people entered. Jemma Melvin was
crowned the winner for her ‘lemon swiss roll and amaretti trifle’, inspired by her grandmothers
and the Queen. A trifle is a very British dessert, made of sponge cake and fruit covered in layers of
jelly - the kind with gelatine in it, not the one you put on sandwiches - custard and cream. It’s
scrumptious, which is a very British way to say delicious. Jemma’s version is made with rolled
up sponge cake, lemon and those sweet little Italian almond biscuits. Hmmm scrumptious!
Now you know all about the jubilee, here’s five important rules you should know
if you’re ever lucky enough to meet Her Majesty the Queen.
One: You should never try to touch the Queen unless she touches you first. So
if she doesn’t put out her hand to shake yours, the correct way to greet her is with a small
curtsy, if you’re a woman and a small bow if you’re a man. A curtsy is when you put one
foot in front of the other and bend at the knees. A bow is when you place one hand on your stomach
and the other behind your back and bend your torso forward and your head down but that’s not
necessary when you meet the Queen. A small bow, like a nod of the head, is enough.
Two: It is considered very bad etiquette indeed to put your hands in your pockets around the Queen.
Etiquette is the rules for or how you should behave in polite society. As you can imagine,
there are many rules of etiquette for when you meet a member of the royal family but
don’t worry if you don’t get it all right! They understand that there are a lot of rules to learn.
Three: The correct way to address the Queen
is to call her ‘Your Royal Highness’ the first time you meet her and then just
ma’am after that. Pleased to meet you, Your Royal Highness.
Four: No selfies! It’s considered a faux pas to take a selfie with any member of the royal family,
although Prince Harry has been known to pose for some! A faux pas, a word borrowed from French,
is when you do or say something that’s not polite, but it’s not too serious if
you do it.
Number five. Last but not least, you mustn’t start eating before the Queen
starts eating. Ok, this is a fairly common rule - we often wait for everyone’s
meal to arrive before starting to eat at a restaurant. But did you also know that,
if you are ever lucky enough to eat with the Queen, you also have to stop
when she stops eating? The meal is finished when the Queen is finished. That’s real girl power! Of course,
it feels necessary to mention there’s some mixed opinions about the monarchy in Britain.
Some people think this kind of inherited power is outdated while others love the tradition, grace and dignity
the Queen and the royal family represent. Let us know your opinion in the comments below!
I’m Anna! Thanks for watching English Like A Native. If you would like more English traditions and English language lessons then please click that subscribe button. Now… where can I find that trifle recipe!