Use this page as an additional resource guide to learning about the British Monarchy. Here you can find information about each famous Monarch touched on in each class, as well as today's Royal Families social media page!
Students, teachers and parents are welcome to explore all resources on this page for classroom and home use. Here you will find films, videos, historical facts, quizzes and activities to use to learn about the many branches of the Royal Family
The Monarchy of the United Kingdom, or British Monarchy as it is commonly referred to as, is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom, surrounding Isles as well as overseas territories. Queen Elizabeth II is the 32nd great-granddaughter to King Alfred the Great, who was the first effective Kind of England from 871 to 899. She is the current head of state and ascended the throne after her father, King George VI in 1952. She is the head of the British Royal Family and has 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 5 great-great children. She is 91 years old and has reign for 65 years.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the collective name for four countries, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which have been united under a single Parliament through a series of Acts of Union.
About the Program
In Royal Memories: Prince Charles' Tribute to The Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales shares memories and recalls events from Queen Elizabeth II's public and private life.
Drawing on archive news reels and never-before-seen home movies and photographs, The Prince reflects back on Her Majesty’s 60 year reign – both as the Great Britain's Queen and as his own mother. Previously-unseen photographs and cine films from Her Majesty’s private collection – many of them shot by the Queen herself – capture family life.
The Prince of Wales with a box of Queen Elizabeth II's cine films.
The Prince also shares footage from various family holidays, including one sequence, filmed by The Queen, in which we see a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne playing in the sand at Holkham beach in Norfolk.
Highlights include private cine camera footage, taken on Coronation day behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, which shows Her Majesty juggling the dual role of mother and Queen as she walks along the corridor of Buckingham Palace and poses for official photographs.
There are also cine film sequences on board Britannia, at Windsor and at Balmoral, all of which give the viewer a fascinating insight into the life of the Royal Family in the 1940s and 1950s.
The main element of the Royal Arms is the shield which is divided into four quarters (see diagram). The three golden lions on a red background, symbolising England, occupy the first and fourth quarters. The Arms of Scotland, a red lion rearing on its hind legs inside a red border, are in the second quarter, and the Arms of Ireland's golden harp with silver strings on a blue background - are in the third quarter.
The lion and the unicorn supporting the shield represent England and Scotland respectively. They stand on a small frame called the compartment which sometimes incorporates the plant emblems of Scotland (thistle), Ireland (shamrock) and England (rose). The Compartment also has the sovereign's motto usually Dieu et mon droit ("God and my right").
Around the shield is a belt or strap with the motto Honi soit qui mal y pense ("Evil to him who evil thinks"), the symbol of the Order of the Garter. Above the shield is the gold barred helmet with the crest, a royal crown topped with a golden crowned lion.