Standard version

C1 · Première and Terminale généralesVersion dys

Family trees: the Windsors and Europe

Used in session 2, and as a reference for the whole sequence.

How to read the trees. Each box gives a name, the dates of birth and death, and in colour the reign or title. Boxes with a thick border are monarchs or consorts at the centre of the story. Read from top to bottom: each indent is one generation.

AThe British royal family, from George V to today

Read the tree aloud. George V was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII, who abdicated after less than a year. His younger brother Albert, who had been Duke of York, became George VI. His elder daughter would become Elizabeth II and was to reign for seventy years. Today her eldest son is King and her grandson William is heir apparent.

BEuropean connections

VFamily vocabulary

ExpressionMeaning and example
to descend from, a descendant, an ancestorto have somebody as an ancestor. Diana descended from Charles II.
to be related to, a relativeto belong to the same family. Philip was related to Elizabeth.
a first cousin, a distant cousin, a cousin once removedchildren of siblings; a remote relative; a cousin of a different generation.
to marry into a familyto become part of it by marriage. Camilla married into the royal family in 2005.
a lineage, a bloodline, a dynasty, a housea line of descent; a ruling family. the House of Windsor
an in-law, a son-in-law, a sister-in-lawrelatives by marriage.
a consortthe husband or wife of a reigning monarch.
illegitimateborn to parents who were not married to each other.
to be succeeded by, to succeedto have somebody come after you on the throne.
to angliciseto make English (a name).

Exercise 1. Complete with the tree

Use the vocabulary and the right tense.

  1. George V ______ his son Edward VIII in January 1936. (succeed)
  2. Diana ______ Charles II through two illegitimate sons. (descend)
  3. George V and Wilhelm II were ______ : their parents were siblings.
  4. Before 1936, Albert ______ Duke of York for many years. (past perfect)
  5. In 1930 nobody knew that the little Elizabeth ______ Queen. (future in the past)
  6. Camilla ______ the royal family in 2005.
Answers
  1. was succeeded by
  2. descended from
  3. first cousins
  4. had been
  5. would become
  6. married into

Exercise 2. True or false? Correct the false statements.

  1. Elizabeth II and Philip were both descendants of Queen Victoria.
  2. George V and Nicholas II were first cousins through Victoria.
  3. The royal house was called Windsor from 1840.
  4. Edward VIII had children.
  5. William is heir apparent.
  6. The Queen Mother was a foreign princess.
Answers
  1. True: both were her great-great-grandchildren.
  2. False: through their mothers, daughters of Christian IX of Denmark.
  3. False: from 1917; before, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
  4. False.
  5. True.
  6. False: she came from the Scottish aristocracy (Bowes-Lyon).

Exercise 3. Open production

In 10 lines, tell the story of the crown from Victoria to William using was succeeded by, had been, would become, was to, descended from, married into.

Dates checked against royal.uk, the College of Arms, Royal Museums and standard references. Children of William and Harry are listed without dates.