"Dr
Elizabeth II, Non-Fiction, 1960
Queen Elizabeth II (1929-2022), the longest-serving monarch in the history of Great Britain, acceded to the
throne in 1952 after the sudden death of her father, King George VI. Because she was never expected to
become queen, she lived her early life relatively quietly amongst close family and friends-even training as
a truck driver and mechanic during World War II. This letter reveals a warmer and more personable side of
the Queen, who can often be perceived as cold or formal. Writing to United States President Dwight D.
Eisenhower, she conveys her delight at spending time with him and his wife and bestows an unusual gift. In
addition to her royal duties, Queen Elizabeth is passionate about breeding horses and enjoys spending
time with her beloved corgis.
By
In January 1960, Queen Elizabeth II of England sent U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower a quick, friendly
note. She'd seen him in the day's newspaper grilling quail and was reminded that she had promised to
send him a recipe for drop scones. Elizabeth notes that although the quantities in the recipe are for 16
people, when she makes a smaller batch, she reduces the milk and flour but uses the same amount of the
other ingredients. She states that she's been following Eisenhower's world travels with great interest and
jokes that on her future trips, she'll no longer be able to complain that she's doing too much. She
remembers fondly his last visit to Balmoral and hopes the picture she's attached will remind him of the
good times they spent together.
After reading the letter, respond to the following questions using evidence from the letter to support your
short answer responses.
Text Dependent Questions
1.
The tone of the letter from the Queen is best described as:
a. friendly
b. romantic
C.
formal
d. political