Discover Britain. London
Part 1
The Romans came to England many, many years ago. They built a town on the River Thames and called it Londinium. Now London is one of the most interesting places in the world. London is the world's seventh biggest city. More than 12 million people live and work in it. It is a centre for business and for tourism. London is in fact three cities: the City of London, the East End and the West End. The heart of London is the City. It is the oldest part of London.
The centre of London is Trafalgar Square. In the middle of it stands a monument to Admiral Nelson. Here you can also see two beautiful fountains, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. One of the greatest places in England is the Tower of London. Now it is the museum. It was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror. People keep black ravens here, because they believe that London will be rich while ravens live there. In London you can also see such famous and beautiful places as St. Paul's Cathedral, that was built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren; Westminster Abbey, where the kings and queens are crowned. It was founded by Edward the Confessor in 1050. You can also see here the Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
Many places in London are closely connected with the Crown. There are royal palaces, royal parks, roads and streets where beautiful ceremonies are held. The most important building is Buckingham Palace (or the Palace), which is the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II. The Mall, a wide avenue used for royal processions runs from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace through St. James's Park. All together there are ten royal parks in and around London which are owned by the Crown. They are open to the public free of charge. Each park has its own character. Hyde Park, for example, used to be a hunting forest. Regent's Park is now home of London Zoo, and an open-air theatre which gives performances of Shakespeare's plays in summer.
Part 2
Though nowadays the Queen reigns but does not rule, the Royal Family plays a very important role in the country. In the history of Britain there were certain Kings and Queens whose names are specially remembered in the country and are well-known in the whole world.
Under the rule of King Henry VIII Britain became independent of the Roman Catholic Church, it got richer and more powerful. In 1534 Parliament named Henry head of the Church of England and gave the King all the power in the country.
Henry's daughter, Elizabeth (1533-1603) became the Queen in 1558. She never married and is remembered as a very popular and strong queen. She is known for saying "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a King ...". During her reign England became very important in European politics, the Spanish Armada was defeated, arts and especially the theatre developed, and the country became very powerful.
Queen Victoria, whose monument you can see in front of Buckingham Palace, ruled for the longest period in the English history, for 64 years! During her reign Britain became a rich industrial country with a developed trade, an empire with a lot of colonies. Victoria married a German, Prince Albert, but after his death she left London and never lived in the city where she had been so happy with her husband and nine children (five sons and four daughters). There are places in London that still remind us of their love. One of them is the Royal Albert Hall which is a very large concert hall where the best musicians of the world perform classical music. In front of the Albert Hall there is a monument to Prince Albert built by Queen Victoria. Another place is the Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A) with its rich collections of paintings and other works of art.
Queen Victoria's great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth II, is on the British throne now. The Queen's title in the United Kingdom is Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, etc. etc. etc.