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B1- B2 The survival of Saint Paul’s Cathedral during the Blitz
How did St Paul’s survive the Blitz?
There was an unofficial lull in the Blitz attacks on London, for Christmas in 1940. But by 29 December, the German bomber planes had returned with renewed vigour. St Paul’s Cathedral famously survived, but how?
It became known as the Second Great Fire of London – the night 70 years ago that devastating air raids turned the capital into a conflagration.
29 December 1940
- London’s 114th night of the Blitz
- First bombs dropped at 1815 GMT, all-clear given just after midnight
- Bombers gave up due to fog in the Channel
It had been a Christmas underground for many people, who slept in Underground stations or festively-decorated air raid shelters. For two nights, the bomber planes had not come, and the anti-aircraft guns remained silent.
That peculiar silence had already been broken as dusk fell on 29 December. The enemy aircraft had returned, dropping incendiary devices and parachute mines in many tens of thousands. Their target? The City of London.
By 1830 GMT on that cold Sunday evening, the Square Mile was in flames. Banks, offices, churches and homes were under threat, in the same streets burnt to a cinder in 1666. A US war reporter based in the city cabled his office: “The second Great Fire of London has begun.”
Prime Minister Winston Churchill sent word that St Paul’s Cathedral should be protected at all costs – it would boost morale to save Christopher Wren’s masterpiece.
But there was a hitch – a major one. Water was in short supply. The mains were being bombed, and although hoses could be filled from the nearby Thames, it was at an unusually low ebb – and unexploded bombs lay in the mud.
Nor was that the only threat to life and limb. Bombs, embers and debris rained down on the streets as they raced to battle the flames.
Christmas in the Blitz
- Councils ran best-decorated shelter contests
- Demand high for very short Christmas trees, to fit inside cramped and low-roofed shelters
- Food was heavily rationed
- Gift-giving discouraged, and people urged to give to the war effort instead
Fireman Sam Chauveau was on duty that night. “By the time we finished tackling the fires on the roof of the [Stock] Exchange, the sky, which was ebony black when we first got up there, was now changing to a yellowy orange colour. It looked like there was an enormous circle of fire, including St Paul’s churchyard.”
Bombs rained down on the cathedral. Volunteer firewatchers patrolled its myriad corridors, armed with sandbags and water pumps to douse the flames.
At about 2100 GMT, an incendiary device lodged on the roof, and the burning mercury inside began to melt the lead of the iconic dome. But luck was on the side of the firewatchers. The bomb dislodged, fell to the floor of the stone gallery, and was smothered with a sandbag.
St Paul’s was saved.
But many more buildings were lost. Tram lines and water mains were destroyed, and the streets strewn with rubble. A dozen firemen died that night, and 162 civilians also perished. Those who survived firefighting duties suffered burns, eye problems and smoke inhalation.
The story goes that Air Marshall Arthur “Bomber” Harris, surveying the damage, remarked, “Well, they’re sowing the wind.” It was under his lead that RAF Bomber Command wreaked firestorms upon German cities. Before a 1,000-plane raid on Cologne, he told the newsreel cameras: “Now they are going to reap the whirlwind.”
Of Men and Gods
Monk tragedy Of Men and Gods proves surprise hit
By Emma Jones Entertainment reporter, BBC News
Of Gods and Men is true story that is moving audiences worldwideNine monks go about the simple rhythms of their life, in the certain knowledge that they face an imminent death.
Hardly a movie pitch which would have predicted success but Xavier Beauvois’s Of Gods and Men was not only runner up at this year’s Cannes Film Festival; it ‘s now the French Oscar entry – as well as taking more than 8m euro at the French box office.
Part of its shocking appeal is that it’s based on a real story. In 1996, seven French Cistercian monks were kidnapped and then killed at Tibhirine in Algeria, amidst rising religious and factional violence. Their murderers were never found.
“When it happened, as a nation, France was shocked,” says the film’s producer Etienne Comar.
“Ten years later in 2006, the same questions resurfaced. Why did it happen? Why did they die? I decided, as a movie, that rather than portray their death, it was more interesting to show them living. There is no answer to their deaths.”
“Start Quote
We can be absolutely sure that whoever kidnapped them, they did so for political reasons, not for their faith”
End Quote Director Etienne Comar
In the movie version, the group of French Brothers live a simple life dispensing medicine and comfort to their poor Muslim neighbours. As the countryside is terrorised by armed Islamic fundamentalists, there is an order for all foreigners to leave the country.
Do the monks leave, or do stay to protect their flock, knowing that they are an inevitable target?
“It is a very current film,” comments Comar. “It’s interesting to look at this atrocity as it happened before 9/11 – all the signs of what was to come were there.
“When I re-read again the last testimony of the monks’ leader, Brother Christian, he was very aware of the co-habitation of Muslim and Christian neighbours. He seemed to have a sense that it was going to become a talking point.
“Now it is an important issue wherever in the world you live – the USA, France, the UK, the Middle East. I want this film to ask, ‘what is the next step?’ How can we live in peace with each other? What dialogue should we have?”
Ironically, the movie was filmed in Morocco, in a monastery south of Fez, which in the 1960s was used by a Benedictine order as a meeting point between Christians and Muslims.
The monks carry on helping the Algerian community despite impending doomIn the film, the monks and their neighbours co-exist in enviable friendship and harmony.
“We can be absolutely sure that whoever kidnapped them, they did so for political reasons, not for their faith,” adds Comar. “The problem is never the faith, it is always the politics behind the faith.”
Director Xavier Beauvois and his cast were sent to live in an actual monastery to prepare for the difference in the rhythm of monastic life.
“I also asked them to sing together,” said their producer. “Some of them had never done it before, and you would be surprised. It created a community, so by the time we actually came to shoot the film, there was a real sense of brotherhood.”
Viewers see the monks going about their daily business: praying, singing, healing the sick, cooking in the most unhurried, un-modern fashion. Yet hanging over them is a sense of sickening tension as events reach their conclusion.
Some of the scenes – where the men share a supper as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake plays in the background, or as the community sing to drown out the threatening whir of military helicopters, are heartbreakingly beautiful.
“I hope people will respond to it as a very universal film,” muses Comar.
“The question, whether to stay or to leave a situation, is one everyone can relate to. Every one of these monks made a personal decision to stay, and it was very courageous. I don’t know if I could have done the same. Yet they say, ‘there is no better proof of love than to die for people.'”
The one surviving monk saw the film and says it ‘brought him peace’As well as the critics, Of Gods and Men has found praise with both the Bishops Conference of France and the French Council of Muslim Faith. But the most important critic for the film-makers must have been one of the survivors of the tragedy.
“Two of the brothers escaped being kidnapped, and one of them, Brother Jean-Pierre, is still alive.
“He is an old man of 87 now, and was unable to come to the cinema to see the film. But we sent him a DVD, and we recently received a letter from him.
“He said he liked it a lot – he could see the community of the brothers once more. He said it gave him peace to see them again.”
Of Gods and Men is released in the UK on 3 December.
A2-B1 Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Dinner: What was On The Menu?
What did the Pilgrims eat at the very first Thanksgiving in the year 1621?
Was it pumpkin pie and stuffed turkey? No, it wasn’t!
The Pilgrims definitely ate at Thanksgiving
We do know certain Thanksgiving dinner items from a letter that a Pilgrim man named Edward
Winslow wrote in 1621.
Wheat, corn, and barley – but no peas
“Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our
barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth the gathering”
*Note: to the Pilgrims, “corn” is what we call “wheat”.
To the Pilgrims, “Indian corn” is what we call “corn”
Waterfowl (ducks and geese)
“ Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling”
Deer meat
“…king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and
they went out and killed fi ve deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our
governor”
Things we think the Pilgrims probably ate at Thanksgiving
We know from records of Mayfl ower Pilgrims certain things that were native to Plymouth or
that they grew in their colony.
Seafood ( fi sh, lobster, eels, clams, mussels)
Nuts (walnuts, chestnuts, acorns)
The Original Thanksgiving
Many cultures all over the world hold festivals or ceremonies to celebrate the fall harvest. But
Thanksgiving was a real event in America in 1621 – that’s almost 400 years ago!
The Pilgrims fi rst came to North America on the ship The Mayfl ower in 1620, landing
in what is now Massachusetts. Taking such a long journey to such a cold climate was hard on
their health, and almost half of those first Pilgrims died of scurvy and pneumonia.
Because the Pilgrims brought germs from Europe that were unknown in the New World,hundreds of Native Americans also got sick and died.
Times were very tough.
The Pilgrims might not have survived if they had not met one
person who changed American history:
the Native American Tisquantum,known to us as Squanto.
Squanto had a lot happen to him in life. As a youth, Squanto was kidnapped by English
merchants who were exploring the New World. They took him to England, where he learned
English and was used as an interpreter and guide in North America by the Plymouth Company.
While he was back in the New World he was kidnapped again by an English trader.
He was shipped to Spain to be sold as a slave, but was taken in by some Spanish friars. Squanto
sailed back to America only to discover that every single person in his tribe had died of plague.
He lived in another Wampanoag village until he heard the Pilgrims had landed.
The first Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims were in danger of starving. Squanto taught them how to fertilize and grow
corn and barley, and where to fi sh. In the fall, the harvest was plentiful. The Pilgrims elected a
governor named William Bradford who proclaimed a day of thanksgiving for the bounty.
Hunters from the colony brought geese and ducks (what, no turkey?).
Fish, lobster,clams, dried fruit and corn were also on the menu.
The Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag chief!
Poem 1
T’was the night of Thanksgiving,
But I just couldn’t sleep.
I tried counting backwards,
I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned,
The dark meat and white.
But I fought the temptation,
With all of my might.
Tossing and turning,
with anticipation.
The thought of a snack
became infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen,
Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge,
Full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey,
And buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots,
Beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling,
So plump and so round.
‘til all of a sudden,
I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling,
Floating into the sky,
With a mouthful of pudding,
And a handful of pie.
But I managed to yell
As I soared past the trees
Happy eating to all,
Pass the cranberries, please!!
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize
And May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!
by Lauren
——————————————————————————
Poem 2
T is for the trust the pilgrims had so many years ago
H is for the harvest the settlers learnt to grow
A is for America, the land in which we live
N is for nature and beauty which she gives
K is for kindness, gentle words, thoughtful deeds
S is for smiles, the sunshine everyone needs
G is for gratitude… our blessings big and small
I is for ideas, letting wisdom grow tall
V is for voices, singing, laughing, always caring
I is for Indians, who taught them about sharing
N is for neighbors, across the street, over the sea
G is for giving of myself to make a better me
by Judith.A. Lindberg
————————— —————————————————
Poem 3
A Thanksgiving Poem.
The tear another’s tears bring forth,
The sigh which answers sigh,
The pulse that beats at other’s woes,
E’en though our own be nigh,
A balm to bathe the wounded heart
Where sorrow’s hand hath lain,
The link divine from soul to soul
That makes us one in pain,
Sweet sympathy, benignant ray,
Light of the soul doth shine;
In it is human nature givin
A touch of the divine.
Unknown
——————————————————————————
Poem 4
The Little Pilgrim
Cranberries dripping down my chin
Have stained my pilgrim suit.
I ate too much Thanksgiving day
But I don’t give a hoot.
I slurped a pile of dressing,
Gobbled down a turkey thigh,
Dribbled messy cranberries
Devoured some pumpkin pie.
Within me on this special day
It’s a thankful heart that beats.
For all the things that I enjoy
But mainly for the eats.
Unknown
——————————————————————————
Poem 5
Thankful
Week before Thanksgiving,
I limp around real strange.
Huddle in the corner,
As though I have the mange.
All the other turkeys,
Just gobble, gobble on.
I’m silent, and I act
As if my gobbler’s gone. Everyone is thankful
On Thanksgiving Day.
Friday it’s forgotten.
You all go on your way.
I know what thankful is
So listen when I say.
“It’s great to be a turkey,
After Thanksgiving Day.”
Unknown
——————————————————————————
Poem 6
The Pilgrims Came
The Pilgrims came across the sea,
And never thought of you and me;
And yet it’s very strange the way
We think of them Thanksgiving Day.
We tell their story old and true
Of how they sailed across the blue,
And found a new land to be free
And built their homes quite near the sea.
The people think that they were sad,
And grave; I’m sure that they were glad –
They made Thanksgiving Day – that’s fun –
We thank the Pilgrims every one!
by Annette Wynne
——————————————————————————
Poem 7
It’s That Time, Again
The days are getting shorter now.
I feel a snow flake on my brow.
The leaves are crackling as I run,
The squirrels’ searching almost done.
The turkey’s restless in the pen,
Oh! No! I see my breath again!
It makes a person take a pause
And think about old Santa Claus!!!
Unknown
——————————————————————————
Poem 8
The Pilgrims
In the year of 1620
on a cold Decembre day
a hundred and two pilgrims
sailed into Plymouth Bay.
Still wary from their voyage –
still gacing winter’s chill –
they kept their sights on freedom
with courage, work, and will.
Pilgrims did not stop to think
of riches, fame, or glory
while bravely playing starring roles
in our new nation’s story
by Bobbi Katz
——————————————————————————
Poem 9
Thanksgiving Time
When all the leaves are off the boughs,
And nuts and apples gathered in,
And cornstalks waiting for the cows,
And pumpkins safe in barn and bin,
Then Mother says, “My children dear,
The fields are brown, and autumn flies;
Thanksgiving Day is very near,
And we must make thanksgiving pies!”
Author Unknown.
——————————————————————————
Poem 10
Thanksgiving
The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.
Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway —
Thanksgiving comes again!
Old Rhyme.
——————————————————————————
Poem 11
The First Thanksgiving
When the Pilgrims
first gathered together to share
with their Indian friends
in the mild autumn air,
they lifted the voices
in jubilant praise
for the bread on the table,
the berries and maize,
for field and for forest,
for turkey and deer,
for the bountiful crops
they were blessed with that year.
They were thankful for these
as they feasted away,
and as they were thankful
we’re thankful today.
Unknown
——————————————————————————
Poem 12
Giving Thanks
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman’s hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the “Land of the Free” —
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
Author Unknown
A Thanksgiving Treasure Hunt
1
When and where is Thanksgiving Day celebrated?
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What nationality were the first settlers (now called the Pilgrim Fathers) on the
American East coast?
http://www.themayflowersociety.com/history.htm
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What was the name of the Pilgrim Fathers’ boat?
http://www.saburchill.com/history/chapters/empires/0008.html
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Where did the Pilgrims start their voyage and where did they arrive?
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/pilgrims1.htm
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
When did they start their voyage and when did they arrive?
http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving/pictimeline/sep1620.htm
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Look up the word harvest in the dictionary and write a sentence to say what they
harvest in your region.
http://www.m-w.com/
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Student worksheet. Name:
Form:
A Thanksgiving Treasure Hunt
2
The Wampanoag were the first Indian people that the Pilgrim Fathers met. What
does the name of the tribe mean?
http://www.plimoth.org/learn/education/kids/homeworkHelp/wampanoag.asp
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Today, Indians prefer to be called “—— Americans”.
http://www.nativeamericans.com/
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What does Thanksgiving Day commemorate, and what do people do on that day?
http://www.thanksgiving-traditions.com/
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
What food do people have for Thanksgiving, nowadays?
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/holidayThanks/Thanks.html
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Thanksgiving is composed of two words. Write them down. In your opinion, what
does the word “thanksgiving” mean?
http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=thanksgiving&x=0&y=0
_________________________________________________________ _____
A1-A2-B1 Let us write to Prince William and Kate Middleton
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/royal-wedding
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13247503
William_marrying_Kate
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13243298
http://ph1.cerosmedia.com/1B4db9637e64402012.cde/page/3
Diana_connectionsqueen_s_role
Par respect des droits de copyright et de confidentialité, la signature ainsi que le nom de la personne nous ayant répondu ont été effacés.
Family tree and details about the etiquette of the wedding available on this link!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11767495
1066
On Christmas Day 1066, William, Duke of Normandy , became the third man in that eventful year to wear the English crown. His coronation took place at Westminster Abbey, but ended in chaos when Norman troops mistook a cry of acclamation for a rebellion.
This account was given by Orderic Vitalis (1075-1142), the Anglo-French chronicler of Norman England. Although Orderic was obviously not present at the coronation his version of the story is usually the most trusted by historians.
Coronation of William the Conqueror, 25 December 1066
So at last on Christmas Day in the year of Our Lord, 1067, the fifth Indiction, the English assembled at London for the king’s coronation, and a strong guard of Normen men-at-arms and knights was posted round the minster to prevent any treachery or disorder. And, in the presence of the bishops, abbots, and nobles of the whole realm of Albion, Archbishop Ealdred consecrated William duke of Normandy as king of the English and placed the royal crown on his head. This was done in the abbey church of St Peter the chief of the apostles, called Westminster , where the body of King Edward lies honourably buried.
But at the prompting of the devil, who hates everything good, a sudden disaster and portent of future catastrophes occurred. For when Archbishop Ealdred asked the English, and Geoffrey bishop of Coutances asked the Normans , if they would accept William as their king, all of them gladly shouted out with once voice if not in one language that they would. The armed guard outside, hearing the tumult of the joyful crowd in the church and the harsh accents of a foreign tongue, imagined that some treachery was afoot, and rashly set fire to some of the buildings. The fire spread rapidly from house to house; the crowd who had been rejoicing in the church took fright and throngs of men and women of every rank and condition rushed out of the church in frantic haste. Only the bishops and a few clergy and monks remained, terrified, in the sanctuary, and with difficulty completed the consecration of the king who was trembling from head to foot. Almost all the rest made for the scene of conflagration, some to fight the flames and many others hoping to find loot for themselves in the general confusion. TheEnglish, after hearing of the perpetration of such misdeeds, never again trusted the Normans who seemed to have betrayed them, but nursed their anger and bided their time to take revenge.
Source: The Ecclesiastic History of Orderic Vitalis, translated by Marjorie Chibnill (Oxford University Press, 1978)
William is crowned king by Archbishop Ealdred: a scene from the Bayeux Tapestry.
C for celebration
O for open
N for new
G for get married
R for rich
A for answer
T for tale
U for under stress
L for love
A for award
T for together
I for imaginative
O for offer
N for nice
S for story
written by Clément 6° 3
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11979925
http://www.anglais.ac-versailles.fr/spip.php?article321
To His Highness Prince William and Lady Kate Middleton,
Let us introduce ourselves!
We are a group of 26 pupils who live in Doubs, France next to Switzerland.
Doubs is a river, a small town and a county.
We are between 11 and 12.
We have got brothers and sisters except for one friend who is an only child.
We enjoy swimming in the summer and skiing in the winter.
Our school Lucie Aubrac is big and colourful : red, grey, white with yellow and green classroms .
The headmaster’s name is Mr Michel Cleyet-Merle.
The school has got the shape of the letter H.
H for History.
We like our English teacher because we are happy during English classes.
We like the work on the computer, the good humour and clementines on Thanksgiving day but
we find English difficult!
There are lots of tests at school and we don’t like them.
We do not like writing but some of us do
and others do not like school at all!
We include a photograph of our class.
We are wearing our best clothes for the occasion!
We are writing to you to wish you all the best for the future!
We hope you will be very lucky!
We just love you!
Congratulations!
Best regards and best wishes for the future!
The 6°3 Pupils
under the guidance of
Ms Marie ANDRE-MILESI
their English teacher
This letter is part and parcel of the Positive Piece of news Project
Collège Lucie Aubrac
BP 25
25300 Doubs
France
http://classtools.net/widgets/fishbone_7/HEngd.htm
On the site history.com, you may find interesting videos.
Marc Roche, correspondant du “Monde” à Londres
pour Le Monde.fr | 19.04.11 | 16h15 • Mis à jour le 22.04.11 | 15h26
Le prince William et sa fiancée, Kate Middleton, dans un club de football à Witton County Park, dans le Darwen, le 11 avril. Leur mariage sera célébré le 29 avril.AFP/ALASTAIR GRANT
Dans un chat sur LeMonde.fr, Marc Roche, correspondant du “Monde” à Londres, estime que le mariage entre le prince William et Catherine Middleton n’aura aucun impact politique car il s’agit d’un événement “à mi-chemin entre affaire d’Etat et cérémonie privée”.
Fred 78 : Les Britanniques sont-ils majoritairement pour la monarchie et si oui, pourquoi ?
Marc Roche : Les Britanniques, à la veille du mariage, plébiscitent la monarchie, pour une raison bien simple : en ces temps d’austérité, la royauté demeure un pivot, une sorte d’ancre, face à la tourmente.
Ensuite, en présence de forces centrifuges à la fois régionales et ethniques, la monarchie reste le symbole de l’unité nationale. En ces temps de guerre (Libye, Afghanistan…), la reine, chef des armées, est l’incarnation du savoir-faire du Royaume-Uni sur le plan militaire.
Dernier point : malgré un côté désuet, conventionnel et fier de l’être, Elizabeth II est unanimement saluée pour les sacrifices consentis à l’exercice de sa lourde tâche. C’est pourquoi le mouvement républicain reste très minoritaire.
Bleuen : Existe-t-il néanmoins un mouvement républicain influent au Royaume-Uni ?
Lors de l’annus horribilis du début des années 1990 – divorce, incendie de Windsor, mort de Diana… –, le mouvement républicain est monté dans les sondages, arrivant à son niveau le plus élevé lors de la fameuse première semaine de septembre, la mort et l’enterrement de Diana.
Mais certains Britanniques n’ont pas aimé les scènes d’hystérie lors de cette semaine-là. Les supporteurs de Diana se recrutaient essentiellement dans les minorités ethniques, sexuelles, et chez les femmes de la classe populaire.
Le pays profond, hors Londres et hors ces groupes, a défendu la monarchie et on a assisté, toutes autres choses étant égales, un peu à ce qui s’est passée en mai 1968 : la révolution étudiante et la contre-révolution conservatrice. Le mouvement républicain aujourd’hui est peu actif, il se limite à certaines classes intellectuelles londoniennes.
Mais il y a une mouvance républicaine que j’appellerais “passive”, ce sont les musulmans, et une partie de la communauté antillaise, qui ne se reconnaissent pas dans cette institution, blanche, aristocratique et protestante.
Antoine Doinel : Quelle incidence le mariage de William peut-il avoir sur le régime anglais ?
Le mariage de William et Katherine n’aura aucune incidence sur la succession. Pour parler familièrement, on saute tout chez les Windsor, sauf les générations… Charles succédera à la reine à sa mort, et William succédera à son père quand ce dernier décédera.
Noa : Savez-vous combien va coûter le mariage princier ? Peut-on faire une comparaison avec d’autres mariages princiers en Europe de ce point de vue ?
Eloïse : Bonjour, d’où vient l’argent du mariage ? En période de restrictions budgétaires, comment les Anglais réagissent-ils à des dépenses aussi importantes ?
L’argent du mariage n’est pas sujet à controverse. Tout d’abord, il s’agit d’une cérémonie qui n’est ni d’Etat ni privée, elle se situe entre les deux. Résultat : le coût du mariage proprement dit – réception, bouquets, robe, transport… – est assuré par la reine, le prince de Galles et les Middleton, sur leur propre cagnotte.
La participation de l’Etat se limite au déploiement des soldats, des policiers et d’une partie du transport en carrosse.
Ainsi que des avions qui survoleront Buckingham Palace. La Mairie de Londres s’occupe, elle, du nettoyage, tandis que les médias doivent intégralement payer le coût de leurs opérations ce jour-là.
Le coût est donc très limité, comme le souhaitait le gouvernement en cette période d’austérité.
Doudidouda : L’ampleur des préparations pour le mariage n’agacent-ils pas tout de même un peu les Britanniques ?
A chaque grand mariage princier, on assiste à une explosion de produits dérivés d’un goût variable, de drapeaux, de calicots, etc.
Les Britanniques aiment cela dans la mesure où c’est un pays à la fois patriote et festif.
Cela dit, en raison du choix de la date, entre deux ponts en avril et en mai, certains prennent trois semaines de vacances. Donc on assiste à la fois à un exode d’une partie de la population autochtone et à un afflux de touristes qui doit limiter les pressions sur les transports en commun. Mais dans la grisaille actuelle, le mariage princier est plutôt bienvenu.
Elise : Est-ce que les monarques ont encore un réel pouvoir dans quelque domaine en Grande-Bretagne ?
La seule prérogative royale qui demeure : la reine règne sur les cygnes, les esturgeons et les baleines. En théorie, c’est tout. Si le Parlement devait la condamner à la guillotine, elle serait forcée de signer sa propre condamnation à mort.
Cela dit, dans les faits, la monarchie, qui ne joue aucun rôle politique, a une influence sur la vie du Royaume dans les domaines suivants.
La reine, les princes et consorts jouent un grand rôle dans les institutions caritatives, qui sont très importantes outre-Manche, et aident à récolter des fonds.
Autre domaine important : la religion, puisque la reine est le chef de l’Eglise anglicane, qui est religion d’Etat.
Elle a son mot à dire dans la nomination de certains prélats.
Charles : Quelle influence la monarchie anglaise joue-t-elle sur les pays du Commonwealth ?
La reine Elizabeth II reste le chef d’Etat de quinze pays du Commonwealth, et non des moindres : Australie, Canada, Nouvelle-Zélande… Par ailleurs, l’éclat du Commonwealth demeure, comme le montre l’adhésion de deux pays non-anglophones, le Mozambique et le Rwanda, qui n’ont jamais été des colonies britanniques.
La reine est le leader de cette association et joue un rôle important quand il s’agit de défendre les intérêts du Commonwealth face aux deux vrais ancrages de la diplomatie britannique, l’Union européenne et les Etats-Unis.
Le rôle de la monarchie comme symbole du Commonwealth risque de diminuer avec les successeurs d’Elizabeth II qui ont peu ou prou connu la grandeur de l’Empire.
Manon : Ce mariage aura-t-il un impact politique important dans les relations internationales ?
La réponse est non, puisqu’il ne s’agit pas d’une affaire d’Etat, mais d’un événement à mi-chemin entre affaire d’Etat et cérémonie privée.
Catherine Middleton n’aura aucun rôle politique si ce n’est un rôle de représentation à l’étranger au côté de son mari. A la différence de Diana, Catherine Middleton n’a jamais cherché à éclipser son époux, elle est là comme soutien.
André Rion : Y a-t-il un risque réel que des manifestations perturbent les festivités ?
Le risque est réel vu la situation économique chaotique du Royaume-Uni. Il existe une mouvance anarchiste renforcée par le mouvement étudiant hostile à l’augmentation des droits d’entrée dans les universités, qui a promis de perturber le mariage princier.
Fortement critiquée lors des manifestations du G20 et celles contre les droits d’inscription, la police ne sait pas très bien à quel saint se vouer, alternant entre excès de fermeté et laxisme.
La situation à ce propos peut s’avérer dangereuse.
Sara : On parle beaucoup du coût de ce mariage. Mais est-il vrai qu’il pourrait rapporter 700 millions d’euros ?
Florent : Est-ce que la monarchie gagne un pourcentage sur les produits dérivés, du genre souvenirs ? Cela sert-il a financer le mariage ?
La monarchie a le droit d’image sur la fabrication des objets, et donc perçoit un pourcentage de leur prix de vente.
Le produit est intégré au budget général de fonctionnement de Buckingham Palace. Un mariage royal rapporte plus qu’il ne coûte en raison des retombées touristiques, mais avec une limitation dans ce cas-ci : l’effet des deux à trois semaines de congés que prennent beaucoup de Britanniques.
Mathieu : La popularité de la monarchie ne peut-elle être considérée comme une forme de patriotisme ? Et la “peopolisation” étant chose courante en Angleterre notamment à travers un nombre incalculable de tabloïds, ce patriotisme n’est-il que de surface ?
Les Anglais sont très patriotes, et l’ont toujours été. La monarchie, symbole de l’ancienne grandeur de l’Empire, des deux guerres mondiales victorieuses et d’une décolonisation certes bâclée mais qui s’est faite tout naturellement, est associée à la volupté d’être britannique, qui prévaut toujours.
Les Windsor ont tiré les leçons de la “peoplisation” de l’ère Diana, ils sont devenus plus couleur muraille. Les tabloïds sont moins intéressés dans les Windsor pour une raison essentielle : ils font moins vendre que les stars du foot ou de la télévision.
Elodie : Et par rapport aux classes sociales dans la société britannique, la noblesse est-elle une classe à part entière ? Comment cela est-il perçu par l’ensemble de la société ? N’y a-t-il pas des critiques par rapport au caractère un peu inégalitaire de ce fonctionnement ?
A l’inverse de la France et de l’ensemble du continent européen, le Royaume-Uni n’a jamais connu de révolution anti-aristocratique et n’a jamais été occupé militairement depuis 1066.
La noblesse y a gardé tous ses attributs. Son pouvoir est essentiellement foncier – les plus beaux quartiers de Londres appartiennent à trois ducs – et mondain. Etrangement, vivant en marge de la société, essentiellement à la campagne, l’aristocratie britannique provoque de l’indifférence teintée d’amusement.
Elle n’a aucun pouvoir politique, comme le montre l’interdiction en 2005 de la chasse à courre, qu’elle avait défendue bec et ongles.
Cherry : Les membres de la famille royale se distinguent par leur caractère assez réactionnaire et peu ouvert à la diversité culturelle. Cette attitude est-elle partagée par la société britannique ?
Il est très clair qu’en général la famille royale symbolise l’Angleterre du passé. Compassée, attachée au maintien du système de classes, blanche, protestante et, disons-le, conservatrice, voire réactionnaire. C’est certainement le cas de la reine et de son conjoint le duc d’Edimburg.
Ce l’est moins du prince Charles, réputé pour son combat courageux en faveur de la diversité. C’est lui qui a ouvert la Garde royale aux Noirs, et qui veut changer le système institutionnel en mettant sur le même pied toutes les grandes religions. Il est aussi très ouvert au bouddhisme.
En revanche, avec William, on est entre les deux. C’est un militaire, attaché à l’ordre et à la hiérarchie et aux classes sociales, très conscient de son statut aristocratique et royal, qui ne s’entoure que de ses pairs.
D’un autre côté, le mariage avec une roturière, sa connaissance de l’Afrique et le fait qu’il ait beaucoup voyagé et n’a jamais mené une existence de jet-set, impliquent une certaine ouverture d’esprit. Mais le fait demeure : la monarchie a du mal à s’adapter à l’Angleterre multiculturelle.
Bébert : Pourtant, Prince William a suivi sa mère en essayant de donner une image plus moderne. Pensez-vous qu’un jour il fera en sorte que la monarchie britannique ressemble à la monarchie hollandaise, c’est-à-dire plus proche des gens ?
Jamais. William a hérité de Diana le souci des autres. C’est évident. Avec son frère Harry, il a créé sa propre association philanthropique qui œuvre en faveur des anciens délinquants, des enfants atteints du sida, etc.
Reste qu’il n’est pas du genre à se promener en bicyclette dans les rues de Londres. Il est conscient de son statut royal, et entend maintenir la monarchie au-dessus de la mêlée en lui conservant sa mystique.
Et Catherine Middleton devrait se mouler facilement dans cette philosophie visant à adopter un profil bas afin de maintenir cette image légendaire de la monarchie. Les étoiles ne se laissent pas saisir.
Antoine : La monarchie britannique constitue-t-elle une exception dans le monde ?
Indéniablement par rapport à Monaco, les Windsor sont dans une autre place. Ils le sont aussi par rapport à l’Espagne, pays plus ou moins de même taille. C’est dû en partie à la longévité – elle remonte à la nuit des temps –, à la grandeur passée de l’Angleterre, et au fait qu’elle reste garante de la démocratie.
A part Cromwell pendant quelques années, l’Angleterre a toujours connu une démocratie parlementaire, et la royauté, dans l’esprit de beaucoup de gens de par le monde, est liée à cette institution. En plus, il y a le Commonwealth.
Marc Roche est l’auteur de la première biographie officielle de la reine Elizabeth II intitulée La Dernière Reine (La Table Ronde, 2008) et deux autres ouvrages sur la famille royale britannique, Diana, une mort annoncée (Scali, 2006) et Un ménage à trois (Albin Michel, 2009)
Chat modéré par Emmanuelle Chevallereau
15 April 2011 Last updated at 11:42 GMT
” title=”//
” title=”” width=”20″ height=”20″> Kate Middleton will be staying in the hotel’s Royal suite.More details of the royal wedding have been released by Buckingham Palace.
Kate Middleton and her immediate family will spend the night before the wedding at the Goring Hotel in Belgravia, central London.
The five-star hotel was the Middleton family’s personal choice and, according to press reports, she will stay in the Royal suite.
Prince William, second in line to the throne, will marry Miss Middleton on 29 April at Westminster Abbey.
TIMETABLE
- 1015 BST – The groom and Prince Harry arrive at Westminster Abbey
- 1051 BST – The bride, and her father, leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey
- 1100 BST – The marriage service begins
- 1230 BST – The bride’s carriage procession arrives at Buckingham Palace
Jeremy Goring, Chief Executive Officer of the Goring Hotel, said: “We are honoured and delighted to be playing a small part in such a great day. We wish Miss Middleton and Prince William every happiness, and we are all looking forward to a momentous celebration.”
He said: “The Goring is the only five-star hotel in London that is still owned and run by the family that built it.”
Mr Goring said the 100-year-old hotel was famous for its “superbly cooked British food” and “uniquely personable English style of service”.
Clarence House has also revealed the exact timings of the wedding day.
The route will pass along The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, along the south side of Parliament Square and into Broad Sanctuary.
The wedding service will be relayed to the gathered crowds by speakers along the route.
There will also be screens at Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square.
More information for people wanting to watch the service in central London is available at www.direct.gov.uk/royalwedding.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13120510
19 April 2011 Last updated at 12:35 GMT
Royal wedding: Kate Middleton coat of arms unveiled
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms, explains the Middleton coat of arms
Kate Middleton’s family has had a coat of arms designed, which will feature on a souvenir royal wedding programme.
Her father Michael commissioned the heraldic design to mark his daughter’s marriage to Prince William on 29 April.
It features three acorn sprigs, one for each of the Middletons’ children: an idea Miss Middleton suggested.
Royal experts say the coat of arms – which cost £4,400 to make – marks the increased social status of her parents and her potential as a future Queen.
Thomas Woodcock, Garter Principal King of Arms, from the College of Arms in the City of London, helped the Middletons with the design.
He said the oak tree was a traditional symbol of England and a feature of west Berkshire, where the family have lived for 30 years.
Mr Woodcock said the gold chevron in the centre of the coat of arms signified Miss Middleton’s mother, Carole, whose maiden name was Goldsmith.
Kate’s coat of arms includes a tied ribbon, showing she is an unmarried woman, and features three acorn sprigs, representing each of the Middleton children. At its centre is a gold inverted “V” reflecting Kate’s mother Carole’s maiden name of Goldsmith and white chevronels, symbolising mountains, representing the family’s love of the Lake District and skiing
William’s coat of arms has a design derived from that of his father, the Prince of Wales, and has a main shield featuring the three lions, lion rampant and harp stringed argent of England, Scotland and Ireland. It also has the lion and unicorn supporters – symbols of the UK. The white label features a sea shell or “escallop”, taken from the family coat of arms of his mother, Princess Diana. The blue garter symbolises his appointment at Knight of the Garter
White chevronels – narrow chevrons above and below the gold chevron – symbolise peaks and mountains, and the Middleton family’s love of the Lake District and skiing.
Mr Woodcock said: “It’s not compulsory, but as their daughter is marrying into the Royal Family she will have a need probably to use a coat of arms.”
He said Miss Middleton could have been granted her own heraldic design but her father wanted the whole family to be able to use it.
Elaborate lozengeA version of the coat of arms, which can only be used by Kate or her sister Pippa as it denotes a Middleton spinster, will be printed on the back of the souvenir programme. Prince William’s will be on the front.
Miss Middleton’s heraldic design features a tied ribbon to show she is an unmarried woman.
Overall, it is designed like an elaborate lozenge rather than a shield, a shape reserved for men.
She will be able to use the coat of arms up until her wedding day, after which it will be combined with that of Prince William.
Mr Woodcock said: “With any new design of a coat of arms you have to make sure that the design is distinct not just in colour but in the linear appearance.
“And, as there is a 16th Century coat of arms with a chevron between three sprigs of oak, we’ve made the differences – dividing the background colours.”
Multimedia nuptials
Broadcast footage of the wedding will be streamed live on the royal YouTube channel, accompanied by a live blog put together by staff at Clarence House and St James’s Palace.
The commentary will provide historical information and links to previously unpublished photographs and video footage with live updates on social media sites such as facebook and twitter.
“People have put Coats of Arms on their watering cans”
End Quote Peter Hunt BBC Royal correspondent
This will be the first royal wedding with its own twitter hashtag: #rw2011.
Members of the public have been invited to send their good wishes in the form of a video message to be shown in an online digital wedding book.
150,000 copies of the official souvenir programme booklet will go on sale on the day of the wedding.
The booklet will be handed out along the processional route by a team of military cadets and Explorer Scouts.
The cost will be £2, with proceeds to go to the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.
But it will also be available to download for free the day before the wedding from the official Royal Wedding website.
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Royal refuseniksAvoiding the royal nuptials at all costs
Watch/Listen
Related Internet links
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The project:Let us write a letter of congratulations to Prince William and Kate Middleton
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92o1JLabCYk&feature=related[/youtube]
Let us write a letter of congratulations to
Prince William and Kate Middleton
on the occasion of their engagement
Conformément à ce que nous avions dit et à ce qui avait été décidé ce vendredi 19 novembre, nous réaliserons ce projet qui nous tient à coeur. Ecrire et envoyer une lettre de félicitations aux jeunes fiancés.
Nous utilisons le moteur de recherche hooseek (moteur de recherche à visée humanitaire donnant une partie de ses gains à des associations -Amnesty International, Clowns sans frontière en font partie par exemple ) ou celui installé dans l’établissement et nous nous connectons sur le site de Clarence House,
la résidence du Prince Charles et de ses deux fils.
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/personalprofiles/residences/clarencehouse/
http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/BuckinghamPalace/BuckinghamPalace.aspx
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/personalprofiles/princewilliamprinceharry/princewilliam/index.html
Pour chercher des informations sur Le Prince et la famille royale ainsi que sur la famille de Kate Middleton.Le site wikipedia peut être utile ainsi que les sites officiels de Buckingham Palace
Les compétences mises en oeuvre (palier 1:modernité et traditions) visent aussi et surtout à utiliser hors de la salle de classe nos connaissances, tout comme la chanson ‘Do you like?’ que nous irons chanter le vendredi 3 novembre chez nos voisins de l’Ehpad et à rebondir de manière constructive sur un fait positif et réjouissant de l’actualité dans un espace culturel précis directement lié à nos programmes: celui de la famille royale.
-rédiger une lettre et savoir manipuler les formules de politesse
-se présenter et faire une description ou un portrait de quelqu’un
(biographies du Prince William et de Kate Middleton:
-date of birth: When was he born? When was she born?-physical description-training and jobs)
-brevet informatique des collèges (domaine 4: s’informer, se documenter)
Nous cherchons les mots dans le lexique de Enjoy ou dans les dictionnaires de l’établissement
ou sur le site wordreference.
Nous nous présentons en tant que classe en disant:
1)qui nous sommes:
des élèves d’un collège
notre âge
nos goûts et nos préférences
nos peurs et nos espoirs pour notre futur et pour le monde
2)ce qui nous plaît dans la langue anglaise :
We enjoy +base verbale+ing,
We enjoy + noms
We are fond of+base verbale+ing
My best moment is…
Our best moment is…
Our worst moment is when…
3)ce que nous trouvons difficile dans la langue anglaise:
We do not like…
We do not enjoy+ base verbale(verbe sans to)+ing
4) nos projets:
In the future we want to be…,
In the future we want the world to be…
In the future, we will be…
5)nos souhaits:
We wish you…
We hope you will be…
Nous utilisons les formes pleines des verbes.
Nous nous devons d’avoir un style noble et distingué, le destinataire étant l’un des membres de la famille royale. Ce que nous dirons ici et que nous écrirons sera différent de ce que nous écrirons à un ou une camarade. Le registre utilisé est différent.
We must write with our best English pens and use our best English!
6)Last but not least
(en dernier et non des moindres, le plus important restant pour la fin)
Nous félicitons le prince et sa fiancée:
– la formule de politesse qui convient pour s’adresser à sa Majesté Le Prince William
– les mots suivants apparaissent:chance, réussite, protection, féliciter, encourager,oeuvres humanitaires, bénévolat
-les formules de politesses pour conclure: Best regards et autres variantes possibles
Un travail d’écriture poétique sur ‘Ode to Joy’ ayant été bien conçu lors de la semaine européenne des langues, nous composons un acrostiche à partir du mot ‘Congratulations!’ et intégrons des éléments-clés de nos recherches.
Fingers crossed ! Toes, knees and feet double crossed!
Croisons les doigts!
S’il faut s’attendre et se préparer à une absence de réponse,
n’oublions pas le plaisir que nous avons à réaliser ce projet et
à… espérer!
