Current Event:

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is celebrating her 60-year reign this year. Her reign began in 1952 upon the death of her father, George VI. Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the United Kingdom as well as of 15 other countries that belong to the Commonwealth of Nations, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Elizabeth II has been the queen of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1952. (Courtesy of AP/Wide Wide)

Objective:

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is only the second British monarch to have achieved a diamond jubilee. The other was Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles takes a closer look inside this rare milestone.

People & Places:

• Australia
• Canada
• Commonwealth of Nations
• David Cameron
• George VI
• Houses of Parliament
• New Zealand
• Prince Philip
• Queen Elizabeth II
• United Kingdom
• Victoria
• Westminster Hall

Discussion Topics:

1. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom continued the commemoration of her diamond jubilee with a speech before a rare joint session of both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. If you live in an area governed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, ask your students what they know about how it works. If you live in another area, talk to your students about how the Parliament of the United Kingdom differs from the legislative body governing your area.

2 Queen Elizabeth is the head of state of the United Kingdom as well as of 15 other countries that belong to the Commonwealth of Nations. Ask your students to name or write down as many nations belonging to the commonwealth as they can in five minutes.

3. In honor of the Queen’s appearance before Parliament, she was presented with a stained glass window featuring her Royal Arms. The window, which was designed by British artist John Reyntiens, is to be installed above the north door of Westminster Hall and is a gift from members of both Houses of Parliament. Talk to your students about the elements of a coat of arms. Then, ask your students to pretend that they are members of the royal family and to design a coat of arms representing who they are.

4. The only other British monarch to have achieved a diamond jubilee was Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. Use World Book’s prebuilt timeline of British monarchs to see how long other monarchs ruled. Or, build your own timeline of all the monarchs around the world who were/are in power since Elizabeth II began her reign.