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Practice dictation & shadowing on the daily life story: Kings and Queens of England
Kings and Queens of England
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(1)
Kings and Queens of England
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Today, in the early 21st century, most countries no longer have kings and Queens.
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However, some countries have remained as monarchies, including England and its former colonies.
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However, even in these countries, the monarch is a ceremonial figure who no longer has any real power over his or her subjects.
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These countries are called constitutional monarchies because they are democracies in which the monarch remains the official head of state.
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Many years ago, the kings and Queens of England did have real power, but gradually this power was transferred to the people and their elected officials.
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It is interesting to examine how this transition occurred
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even in very early times.
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The King of England did not have absolute power.
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He was the most powerful man in the country, but he could not entirely force his will upon others.
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If he became too demanding, he might face opposition from powerful local landowners.
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These men, called the barons, might resist a king who tried to become too strong.
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This is exactly what happened in the year 1215.
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The King of England had made many unreasonable demands upon the country and the barons decided to resist.
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They forced the king to agree to a list of rules that would limit his power.
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These rules were written in a famous document called the Magna Carta.
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This document described not only the rights of the barons, but also of the common people of England
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during the next few 100 years.
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The kings still had much power.
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However, some other people, such as the landowners and the richer men of the towns, also had influence.
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Their meetings became known as parliaments, and the king had to share power with the parliament.
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During the 1640s, one king tried to rule without parliament and tried to take away the rights of parliament.
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This led to a civil war and the king was defeated.
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England soon became a monarchy again, but it became clear that parliament would have more power than the King until the 20th century.
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The parliaments of England became more democratic as more and more people were allowed to vote.
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Today, England still has a constitutional monarchy, but not all English speaking countries recognize the English Queen.
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For example, the United States became an independent country over 200 years ago and has become a Republic ever since.
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In some countries, there is a debate about the future of the monarchy.
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Canada, Australia and New Zealand still recognize the Queen of England as their own queen, even though those countries are no longer governed by England.
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Many people in those countries want to abolish the monarchy.
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They believe that their countries should now have their own head of state.
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On the other hand, some people in those countries want to keep the monarchy because it reminds them of their country's early history.
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This is an ongoing topic of debate for Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.