The third person in line to the throne of England will be born in 2013.
The Royal Family announced this week that Kate Middleton and her husband, Prince William, are going to have a baby.
Prince William is Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson.
Kate, also known as the Duchess of Cambridge, married William in a lavish ceremony in London, England last year. People around the world watched the royal wedding on TV.
People are just as interested in the possibility of a new royal baby.
At one time, members of the royal family could keep personal events—like the birth of a baby—a secret until they wanted to tell people.
These days, however, it’s much harder.
Some newspapers have been speculating about a royal baby for months, even before it was true. Kate’s pregnancy was officially announced after she was taken to hospital because she is having particularly intense “morning sickness.” Morning sickness is a common occurrence, in which some pregnant women feel nauseous.
In Kate’s case, the hospital is giving her some extra vitamins and liquids. She will also have to rest more than usual.
Many people are wondering about whether the baby will be a boy or a girl, what they will name it, and even what its hair colour will be. Some betting firms are even taking bets about it. Guesses as to the name include Diana (after William’s late mother) or Charles (after William’s father).
The new baby will be third in line to the throne. The process of choosing the next monarch is known as succession. Here are some facts about the succession to England’s throne:
- If Queen Elizabeth steps down William’s father, Charles, would take the throne.
- If Charles left the throne, William would become King of England.
- After William, the throne would go to his son or daughter. (In that case, the throne would by-pass William’s brother, Harry.)
At one time, royal sons were given the throne before daughters. However, in 2011 the succession rule was changed, so royal sons and daughters will have an equal chance to rule England. (The change hasn’t yet been officially made into law.)
Related link
Kate and William’s wedding in April, 2011.
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Jonathan Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
What would be good / bad about growing up as the future King / Queen? After looking at your comparison, answer and explain why you would / wouldn’t want to the future monarch of Britain?
Reading Prompt: Demonstrate Understanding
The author of today’s story includes the names of many people in the royal family. Make a family tree using the names of these individuals. With a parent, search the web to fill in any gaps.
Primary
Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by identifying important ideas and some supporting details (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Junior
Demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts by summarizing important ideas and citing supporting details (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Intermediate
Demonstrate understanding of increasingly complex texts by summarizing important ideas and citing a variety of details that support the main idea (OME, Reading: 1.4).
Grammar Feature: Comma (Introductory Material)
Writers use commas in order to separate different parts of a sentence. For instance, a writer will often use a comma to separate the introductory part of a sentence from the rest of the sentence. For example,
In Kate’s case, the hospital is giving her some extra vitamins and liquids.
At one time, royal sons were given the throne before daughters.
Hint: Notice that the sentence would still make sense without the intro material. Writers often use introductory material to create flow, make connections, and add interest in their writing.
Write 3 sentences that use introductory material (clauses).
