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Words
in the News
Monday 01 April 2002
Vocabulary from the news. Listen to and read the report then find
explanations of difficult words below.
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Prince Charles's tribute to the Queen Mother
Summary: The Prince of Wales has spoken for the first time in public following the death of the Queen Mother on Saturday at the age of 101. This report from David Chazan:
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The
News 
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The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, said that his grandmother, the Queen Mother, had meant everything to him. He said she had been somehow timeless and had spanned the generations.
"I know what my darling grandmother meant to so many other people. She literally enriched their lives and she was the original life enhancer, whether publicly or privately, whoever she was with. And in many ways I think she'd become an institution in her own right, a presence in the nation and in other realms and territories beyond these shores."
Prince Charles spoke of his grandmother's fortitude and devotion to duty after the death of her husband, King George. And, he said, she was in tune with the spirit of her country.
"Above all, though, she understood the British character and her heart belonged to this ancient old land and its equally indomitable and humorous inhabitants whom she served with panache, style and unswerving dignity for very nearly eighty years."
Prince Charles said the Queen Mother had seemed gloriously unstoppable and he had always dreaded her death. Somehow, he said, he'd never quite believed it would come.
David Chazan, BBC, London
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The
Words
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spanned the generations
lived a long life (here, 'generation' means the period of time it takes for children to grow up and have children of their own)
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life enhancer
a person who makes other people feel better about themselves and life in general
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an institution in her own right
a person who has become a very popular and familiar figure because of their own efforts and personal charm
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realms and territories beyond these shores
here - countries other than the UK
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fortitude
the courage to face and endure great difficulties
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in tune with
if you are in tune with a group of people, you agree with or sympathise with them
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indomitable
never giving up or admitting a defeat
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panache
if you do something with panache, you do it in a confident, stylish and elegant way
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unswerving
strong and firm
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The
Queen Mother: 1900 - 2002 |
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Other Words in the News archives
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