Listen to December 8th 2012 to hear more about the British royal family.

　　It is fortunate that the baby is a boy as some Commonwealth countries have not yet agreed to having a female ruler if she was the oldest child.

　　But will the new baby ever be a king? It is possible by that time – it could be 40 years or more – many Commonwealth countries will decide they don’t want a monarch. At the moment, most people respect the Queen but when she dies, feelings about a monarchy could change. Many Australians, for instance, would like their country to be a republic. They could have a President instead of a king. If Australia became a republic, New Zealand might do the same.

　　Vocabulary – check vocabulary list Dec 8th 2012

　　Questions

　　1.What are the benefits of having a monarch?

　　2.What are the disadvantages of having a monarch?

　　3.Why do many Australians want their country to be a republic?