RESUMEN
La noche del jueves 9 de abril de 1992 era la noche de las elecciones. La Reina estaba en la cama acariciando a su perro Harris y viendo la televisión. Aún no se sabía cuál de los dos partidos iban a ganar las elecciones; pero a la Reina no le preocupaba el resultado de las elecciones, siempre y cuando el partido ganador apoyara la monarquía. La Reina apagó la televisión y durmió tranquilamente.
A la mañana siguiente, Jack Barker, el líder del Partido Republicano, ganó las elecciones, convirtiéndose en primer ministro, y se presentó en el Palacio de Buckingham para ver a la Reina.
Tal vez la Reina esperaba tener una reunión con Jack Barker para hablar sobre sus planes como nuevo primer ministro, pero las intenciones de Barker eran muy diferentes: ordenó a la Reina abdicar y expulsar a la Familia Real de palacio. Su idea consistía en que todo el poder residía en el pueblo y que no habría distinción entre clases. Jack Barker insistía en que la Familia Real debía vivir en una casa más humilde y olvidarse de los lujos. La Reina debería cuidar de su madre sin ayuda de criados; no podrían tener nada más que un perro como mascota, y dejar a los caballos que tenían en los establos. Y tampoco necesitarían grandes armarios para guardar la ropa, sólo necesitarían lo básico, ya que no volverían a aparecer en actos públicos.
Jack Barker cogió la corona real y salió al balcón. Afuera se agolpaba una gran multitud, aplaudiendo al nuevo primer ministro. Después salió la ex Familia Real, y ésta fue abucheada. Barker alzó la corona por encima de su cabeza y después la arrojó desde el balcón.
La ex Familia Real estaba muy preocupada; era el fin de la monarquía.
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Thursday 9th April, 1992 it was the election night. The Queen was in the bed, stroking her dog named Harris and watching TV. The result of the election wasn’t known yet; but the Queen didn’t matter while the winning party supports the monarchy. The Queen turned off the TV and slept quietly.
The next morning, Jack Barker, the leader of the Republican Party, won the election and he became the Prime Minister, and went to the Buckingham Palace to see the Queen.
Maybe the Queen thought to have a meeting with Jack Barker to talk about his ideas like the new Prime Minister, but Barker’s intentions were very different: he ordered the Queen to abdicate and expel the Royal Family out of the palace. His idea was that the people would have the control and delete the differences between social classes. Jack Barker said the Royal Family would have to live in a humble house, keeping only one dog and leave the horses that they had in the stable. The Queen should care for her mother without the help of the servants and live only with the necessary things (for example: they wouldn’t need many clothes, because they wouldn’t make personal appearances).
Jack Barker took the royal crown and went out to the balcony. Outside there was a great crowd clapping him. The ex Royal Family went out too and it was booed by the people. Barker held the crown over his head and then threw it through the balcony.
The ex Royal Family was very worried; this meant the end of monarchy.
ACTIVIDADES
- Why do you think the Queen didn’t want a Republican government to be elected? Republican ideas say that people would have the control, not the monarchy and it wouldn’t to be differences between social classes. A Republican government could take away privileges to the Royal Family, but the Queen didn’t want that.
- What did Jack Barker tell the Royal Family about their new homes? Barker said Royal Family had to live in humble houses with ordinal neighbors and only with the necessary things, because it wouldn’t need big rooms, servants, many clothes and pets. The Royal Family would learn to be an ordinal family. Barker also said that the Queen Mother had to live in a bungalow and the Queen had to care for her without help.
- What did Jack Barker do with the Queen’s crown and what do you think this signified? He threw down the crown through the balcony. It signified the end of monarchy.
