NB 2 - File 7A: Visiting the National Portrait Gallery

Dear students & readers of this blog,

We know that London has many museums, but now we are going to talk about one of the most interesting, yet least known of all: the National Portrait Gallery. 

It is situated just off Trafalgar Square, at a 5-minute walk from the National Gallery. It houses portraits, both paintings and photographs, of outstanding British men and women. Here you have some practical info, just in case you are planning to visit London soon:

IMPORTANT INFO

Address

2 St.Martin's Place

London WC2H 0HE, United Kingdom

Cómo llegar

‎

020 7306 0055

Nearest tube/railway station

Leicester Square (Northern & Picadilly Lines)

Charing Cross (Norther & Bakerloo lines)

Admission

Free

Opening Times

Saturday to Wednesday from 10:00am to 6:00pm 

Thursday and Friday from 10:00am to 9:00pm

                                                                                                      www.npg.org.uk

As we saw in our textbooks, some of the people featured in the museum are:

HRH the Duke of Windsor and the Duchess of Windsor (aka Edward VII & Mrs Wallis Simpson.

Edward VIII was King for just a few months. As he was in love with Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American woman who was divorced, he abdicated, and became the Duke of Windsor. They were together for the rest of their lives.

Click on their names above if you want to read more about their biographies.

Henry VIII of England 

Henry VIII was the king of England. He was famous for starting the Church of England. He was also married six times. Two of his wives were executed. He was a poet, a singer and a sportsman in his youth, but in his old age he was changeable and tyrannical. He was Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary some people called her), and Elizabeth I's father.

The Brontë Sisters: Charlotte, Emily & Anne.

Charlotte, Emily and Anne were born in Yorkshire. They were all remarkable writers, but only Charlotte was famous during her lifetime. They were the authors of some of the most famous novels of English literature: Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily) or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne).

Click on their names above to learn more about their biographies.

Helena Bonham Carter

She was born in London. She is an actress. Her first significant role was in the film A room with a view. Her partner was film director Tim Burton. They have two children.

Click on her name above to learn more about her biography.

Now let's play a game. I'm going to give you five clues about two famous people, and you are going to say who I'm talking about, okay? Let's go:

Celebrity no. 1

1- He was an English writer

2- He was born in the 16th century.

3- He was married with three children

4- He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon

5- He was the author of plays such as Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet.

And he is...

William Shakespeare

Celebrity no. 2

1- She was born in Los Angeles in 1926.

2- She was a famous actress.

3- She was blonde and very beautiful.

4- Her real name was Norma Jean Baker.

5- She was married to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller.

And she is...

Marilyn Monroe

Now let's see if you guess this one. These are the clues:

- He was born in a city in South Africa.

- He was an anti-apartheid activist.

- He was in prison for many years.

- He was the 1st black president of South Africa.

- He was married three times.

So...who was he? 

WRITE A COMMENT WITH THE ANSWER, IF YOU KNOW IT. ALSO, WRITE A COMMENT WITH THE CLUES YOU WROTE IN CLASS. LET'S SEE IF WE GUESS THEM!!!

For some theory on was / were, click here.