The Imperial State Crown

The Imperial State crown is somewhat similar in design to St. Edward's crown, as it also consists of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, which are topped with two arches and a cross. The Imperial Crown, which is lighter and more comfortable than St. Edward's crown, is worn at the end of the coronation ceremony when the new Sovereign exits Westminster Abbey, as well as for the opening of Parliament each year. In addition, a few monarchs have opted to wear the Imperial Crown instead of the traditional St. Edward's Crown for the entire coronation service, including Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.

The current version of the Imperial State crown is a replica of an earlier one which was made for Queen Victoria. The modern version was created in 1937 by the Crown Jewellers, Garrard and Company. The Imperial Crown boasts a staggering 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies. As if this were not enough, the crown is also adorned with several large famous gems which are priceless in their own right, including St. Edward's sapphire, Black Prince's ruby, and the Cullinan II, also known as the Lesser Star of Africa.

Time for Children

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

One of the most legendary diamonds in all the world also resides in the Imperial State Crown: the 108.93 carat rose cut diamond called the Koh-i-Noor, which means "Mountain of Light" in Persian. This diamond, which at one time was the largest cut white diamond in the world, has a legendary curse associated with it, much like the Hope Diamond. An ancient Hindu curse stated that, "He who owns this diamond will rule the world, but will also know all of its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman can wear it with impunity.". Interestingly enough, the Koh-i-Noor has most recently been owned by several female world leaders, beginning with Queen Victoria of England, and more recently, Queens Elizabeth I and II.

The origins of the Koh-i-Noor diamond can be traced back to Golconda, India, and according to some accounts, the enormous diamond may have been discovered thousands of years ago. The gem has passed between scores of rulers, from the Sikhs to the Mughals to the Persians. There is a long history of violence around those men who owned the diamond, and it was seized as the spoils of war numerous times. (Perhaps this is where the curse comes in.) One of the most legendary non-European heads of state to own the Koh-i-Noor was Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, whose name meant "King of the World" in Persian. Shah Jahan was best known for building the Taj Mahal palace. It is said that when the Emperor was later imprisoned by his son, the Koh-i-Noor diamond was placed near a window, and that Shah Jahan could view his magnificent Taj Mahal only as a reflection in its facets.

As history held, the Koh-i-Noor once again traded hands as part of the spoils of war. When the British colonized India in 1849, the famous diamond was explicitly mentioned in the Treaty of Lahore, the document that made India a part of the British Empire:

The gem called the Koh-i-Noor which was taken from Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk by Maharajah Ranjit Singh shall be surrendered by the Maharajah of Lahore to the Queen of England.

The astonishingly valuable diamond was formally presented to Queen Victoria on July 3, 1850. In its form at that time, the Koh-i-Noor was remarkably large, but not particularly brilliant, leading to the gemstone being recut in 1852. It is said that Prince Albert, who supervised the recutting of the diamond from 186 1/16 carats down to 105.602 carats, was disappointed at the finished results. Nonetheless, the recut Koh-i-Noor was mounted into a tiara with two thousand smaller diamonds, and was kept at Windsor Castle (unlike most of the Crown Jewels, which are housed in the Tower of London). The Koh-i-Noor continues to be a part of the British Crown Jewel Collection to this day. It was reset into a new platinum crown for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1937. The Koh-i-Noor now resides in the ceremonial artifact called the Imperial State Crown, efforts to reclaim it by Pakistan and India notwithstanding.

1953. Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II: 'The Crowning Ceremony'

The Crowning.

The Queen sitting in King Edward's Chair, the Archbishop, assisted with other Bishops, come from the Altar: the Dean of Westminster carrying the Crown, and the Archbishop taking the crown did reverently and place it upon the Queen's head. At the sight whereof the people, with loud and repeated shouts, cry,
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
The Princes and Princesses, the Peers and Peeresses put on their coronets and caps, and the Kings of Arms their crowns; and the trumpets sound, and by a signal given, the great guns at the Tower were discharged.
The acclamation ceasing, the Archbishop says:
"God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness,
that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works,
you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom
by the gift of him whose kingdom endureth for ever. Amen."

The Queen's Longest Reign Elizabeth and Victoria ( BBC Documentaries )

Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-reigning monarch in British history on the evening of 9 September 2015. This documentary compares the lives and the reigns of two extraordinary women who have steered their courses through periods of remarkable change: Elizabeth and Victoria. It follows Queen Elizabeth II on engagements in the UK and abroad as she approaches this historic date. With interviews and archive to illustrate the remarkable stories of these two female monarchs.

Project
Knitted Neck Scarf

Introduction

When instructed to rib in the pattern below, knit 1, purl 1 alternately across the row. To wear the scarf, slip one end through either of the loops at front.

Finished Size: 4 by 26 inches

materials

    Yarn: 2 skeins (50 grams )sport-weight yarn in desired color, using about 150 yards

    Needles: 2 needles in size U.S. 4 (3 1/2 mm), 1 double-pointed needle in same size. Adjust needle size as necessary to obtain correct gauge (gauge: 5 stitches and 11 rows equal 1 inch in garter stitch)

    Stitch holder

    Tapestry needle

steps

    Cast on 3 stitches.

    Row 1: Knit 2, slip last stitch purlwise.

    Row 2: With yarn in back, knit 1, increase 1 (see how to increase), knit 1, and slip last stitch purlwise.

    Row 3: With yarn in back, knit 1, increase 1, knit to last stitch, slip last stitch purlwise.

    Repeat row 3 until you have 24 stitches. (Piece should now measure about 4 1/2 inches wide.)

    Continue to knit across every row, still slipping last stitch of each row purlwise, until piece measures 4 inches long.

    Divide (see how to divide). When you're finished, half the stitches will be on double-pointed needle and the other half will be on your working needle.

    Rib across the stitches on your working needle (leave the stitches on double-pointed needle as is), still slipping the last stitch purlwise. Continue for 1 1/2 inches. Transfer these ribbed stitches onto stitch holder. Break yarn, leaving a tail long enough to weave in later.

    Rejoin yarn, and rib across the stitches on double-pointed needle for 1 1/2 inches.

    Transfer all stitches onto 1 needle as follows: Slip 1 stitch purlwise from double-pointed needle, then slip 1 purlwise from working needle. Repeat across row until all stitches are on 1 needle.

    Knit every row, slipping last stitch purlwise, for 15 1/2 inches. (To adjust the size of the scarf, knit fewer inches for a child or more for a large adult.)

    Using same method as in step 7, divide the stitches between the 2 needles.

    Repeat steps 8, 9, and 10.

    Knit every row, slipping last stitch purlwise, for 2 1/2 inches.

    To finish: Knit 1, decrease (see how to decrease), and knit to end of row, slipping last stitch purlwise. Repeat this sequence every row until only 3 stitches remain. Bind off. Using tapestry needle, weave in ends.

The Queen

Queen meets Northern Ireland leaders on first leg of visit
Along with Duke of Edinburgh, monarch will visit Game of Thrones set in Belfast and visit Crumlin Road jail

Queen Elizabeth arrives at Hillsborough Castle in Belfast on Monday for the beginning of her two day royal visit to Northern Ireland, and meets with Sinn Féin’s deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.
When asked by McGuinness how she is, the Queen replies, ‘well, I’m still alive’.
The visit is her first public engagement since the UK voted to leave the European Union

The Queen has held a private meeting with deputy first minister and former IRA chief of staff Martin McGuiness on the first leg of her three day tour of Northern Ireland.

It was the third time she has met Sinn Fein's chief negotiator during the peace process, the first handshake between them taking place in 2012 during her Diamond Jubilee visit to Northern Ireland.

She also met first minister Peter Robinson as well as the secretary of state Theresa Villiers on Monday evening.

On Tuesday the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will pay a visit to Belfast's Crumlin Road jail which during the Troubles held hundreds of republican and loyalist prisoners. The prison in the north of the city is now a museum and also the home of a new whiskey distillery.

The royal couple will also be shown around the interior set of the US fantasy television drama Game of Thrones, which is in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast's docklands, on Tuesday.

About the Movie

Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841) was one of Russia’s greatest poets and writers. His famous novel, “A Hero of Our Time” was one of the most popular Russian books of all time. His works were always timely and relevant, enjoying vast popularity especially among young people. Lermontov’s poetry and prose were translated into many languages and take their rightful place among the classics of world literature. Lermontov died at the age of 27, fighting a duel under strange circumstances. He grew up without parents, had two serious love affairs, was always surrounded by good friends, went through war, but nevertheless remained lonely throughout his whole life. This movie, made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Lermontov's birth, gives an insightful look at how his personal life intertwined with the plots of his works. The poet’s reality is gradually transferred into the world of his own imagination, while the characters and events he describes provide answers to biographical mysteries of Lermontov’s fate.

Sayings and proverbs in English

proverb: a piece of common-sense wisdom expressed in practical, homely terms ("A stitch in time saves nine")

A saying is a short, clever expression that usually contains advice or expresses some obvious truth.

Sayings beginning with B

Bad news travels fast
"Bad news" means news about "bad" things like accidents, death, illness etc. People tend to tell this type of news quickly. But "good news" (passing an exam, winning some money, getting a job etc) travels more slowly.

Barking dogs seldom bite
Don't be afraid of dogs that bark or people that threaten you (say they will do something bad to you) - in both cases they rarely take action.

Beware the fury of a patient man
The implication is that the anger of people who are normally slow to anger is, when it eventually comes, terrible.

Birds of a feather flock together
"Birds of a feather" means "birds of the same type". The whole proverb means that people of the same type or sort stay together. They don't mix with people of another type.

Boys will be boys
This somewhat humorous saying is often used to excuse male behaviour (of both boys and adult men).