The Reading / Listening - Royal Families - Level 5

The British monarchy is facing its biggest crisis for almost a century. The former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. This offence carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment. On Thursday, he was held in custody at a police station. There are allegations that Andrew gave confidential trade information to Jeffrey Epstein. The British government is now thinking about removing him from the line of succession to the throne. Andrew is currently eighth in line to be monarch. This can only be changed with a new law.

In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated. The UK government passed a law to recognize the fact that he was no longer king. A similar law could affect Andrew. He has been involved in many scandals because of his association with Epstein. Last year, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his title of prince. Andrew can no longer be called "Prince Andrew", nor can he use his other royal titles. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has yet to comment on the allegations of misconduct, but has always denied doing anything wrong regarding Epstein.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Royal Families - Level 4 or  Royal Families - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.npr.org/2026/02/20/g-s1-110915/uk-former-prince-andrew-epstein-investigation
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kgv837wvdo
  • https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-news/succession-andrew-out-216839/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The British monarchy is facing
  2. The former Prince Andrew was
  3. on suspicion of misconduct
  4. a possible sentence of life
  5. he was held in custody
  6. the line of succession
  7. Andrew is currently eighth in
  8. This can only be changed
  1. arrested
  2. with a new law
  3. at a police station
  4. to the throne
  5. its biggest crisis
  6. in public office
  7. imprisonment
  8. line to be monarch

Paragraph 2

  1. In 1936, King Edward VIII
  2. The UK government passed
  3. recognize the fact that he was no
  4. A similar law could
  5. He has been involved in
  6. formally stripped Andrew
  7. He has yet to comment
  8. denied doing
  1. many scandals
  2. longer king
  3. on the allegations
  4. abdicated
  5. of his title
  6. anything wrong
  7. a law
  8. affect Andrew

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The British (1) ________________________________________________ its biggest crisis for almost a century. The former Prince Andrew was arrested on suspicion (2) ________________________________________________ public office. This offence carries a possible sentence of life imprisonment. On Thursday, he was (3) ________________________________________________ at a police station. There are allegations that Andrew (4) ________________________________________________ information to Jeffrey Epstein. The British government is now thinking about removing him from the (5) ________________________________________________ to the throne. Andrew is (6) ________________________________________________ line to be monarch. This can only be changed with a new law.

In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated. The UK government passed a law to (7) ________________________________________________ that he was no longer king. A similar law could affect Andrew. He has (8) ________________________________________________ many scandals because of his association with Epstein. Last year, King Charles III formally stripped Andrew of his (9) ________________________________________________. Andrew can no longer be called "Prince Andrew", nor can he use his (10) ________________________________________________. He is now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has (11) ________________________________________________ on the allegations of misconduct, but (12) ________________________________________________ doing anything wrong regarding Epstein.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheBritishmonarchyisfacingitsbiggestcrisisforalmostacentury.Thef
ormerPrinceAndrewwasarrestedonsuspicionofmisconductinpublicof
fice.Thisoffencecarriesapossiblesentenceoflifeimprisonment.OnThu
rsday,hewasheldincustodyatapolicestation.Thereareallegationsthat
AndrewgaveconfidentialtradeinformationtoJeffreyEpstein.TheBritis
hgovernmentisnowthinkingaboutremovinghimfromthelineofsucces
siontothethrone.Andrewiscurrentlyeighthinlinetobemonarch.Thisca
nonlybechangedwithanewlaw.In1936,KingEdwardVIIIabdicated.Th
eUKgovernmentpassedalawtorecognizethefactthathewasnolongerk
ing.AsimilarlawcouldaffectAndrew.Hehasbeeninvolvedinmanyscan
dalsbecauseofhisassociationwithEpstein.Lastyear,KingCharlesIIIfo
rmallystrippedAndrewofhistitleofprince.Andrewcannolongerbecalle
d"PrinceAndrew",norcanheusehisotherroyaltitles.Heisnowknownas
AndrewMountbatten-Windsor.Hehasyettocommentontheallegatio
nsofmisconduct,buthasalwaysdenieddoinganythingwrongregarding
Epstein.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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