Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archives Grade Level: 7-12 Subject: Social Studies

A Royal Wedding

On Saturday, June 19, 1999, England's Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in a ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. According to one BBC report, "A relaxed and confident Edward winked at his radiant bride-to-be as she arrived at the altar for the last royal wedding of the millennium. Both the prince and his wife faultlessly delivered their vows - including the bride's promise to "obey" her husband - although Edward appeared to experience some difficulty putting on Sophie's ring."

To learn more about the event, visit the BBC News special report: The Royal Wedding. When the cover page opens, begin by reading some of the brief news stories under the Headlines section, including Radiant Sophie marries her prince, A traditional service, and if you want to know more about the "informal" wedding dress of Her Royal Highness, click Sophie's stunning dress.

Since you couldn't attend the event yourself (only 550 family members and close friends were invited) you are welcome to browse photos in the Royal Wedding Album. Or maybe your preference would be seeing video footage of the happy event. You'll find it—again, courtesy of the BBC—by clicking The Day in Video link (requires RealVideo). MSNBC news also features video coverage (requires Windows Media Player), including a live report on the wedding and interviews recorded prior to the wedding.

If you'd care to Send your message to the happy couple, feel free to do so by filling in and submitting a simple online form.

A Royal Heritage

You probably read a lot of unfamiliar names in the news reports of Edward and Sophie's wedding. It helps to become familiar with the family ties. For a quick overview of the royal genealogy in this century, browse MSNBC's interactive guide to Britain's royal family Britain's royal family. Click a name in the family tree to read a brief profile of each name in the line, beginning at the bottom of the chart with Queen Victoria. Prince Edward, born in 1964, is the youngest son of the reigning Queen Elizabeth.

A less interactive but equally informative Family Tree can be seen at the BBC site. This family chart traces only the direct lines of Edward and Sophie stemming from Nicholas St John (1526-1589).

The British Monarchy

Much of the constitutional power of the British monarchy was curtailed during the reign of Queen Victoria. Since that time, many in England have debated the need for continued support of the monarchy. In other words, many feel there should no longer be a royal family. You can decide that for yourself, but don't decide before spending some time at the official British Monarchy site.

Begin by clicking the Today's Royal family link. Click on a name listed to the left to read a detailed profile of each member. In particular, you should read about Her Majesty The Queen and HRH Prince Edward. You might also be interested in reading the obituary pages for Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in an accident in a highly-publicized accident in 1997.

Continue your visit to this site by reading The Monarchy Today to learn more about the Queen's role as the United Kingdom's politically impartial Head of State, as well as Head of the Commonwealth—an association of 54 independent countries, all of which were once governed under British rule. When you have explored and read about the role of the Monarchy in modern times, read Monarchy Through the Ages to learn more about the history of the oldest institution of government.

How does someone get to be King or Queen of England? Read Accession, Coronation & Succession to understand how it all gets decided. Finally, visit the Royal Palaces link to virtually tour the royal residences, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

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