The changing power of kings and queens

About this session

Key stage 2 | Subject: History | Topic: Victorians, Stuarts | Session Type: Route-based

Travel through time at Kensington Palace to discover how the power of the English monarchy changed over the centuries.

Children will explore the rule of Charles I and the concept of absolute monarchy before examining how the power of monarchs, such as Mary and William and Queen Victoria, was curtailed.

Designed to develop children's conceptual understanding of monarchy, this session covers a range of time frames that helps it to fit into any unit of study that explores the monarchy post-1066.

What to expect?

In this hour-long session, your group will walk between several rooms inside the palace.
The session will be facilitated by a presenter in costume, playing a historical character, who will interact with children in a lively and responsive way. 
Teachers will be required to actively support the facilitator and engage with the session.  
Children will be encouraged to take an active part in the session through role-play activities, questioning and debate

Learning objectives

Children will:

Learn about the changing role of the monarchy in terms of the balance of power with Parliament.
Explore the concepts of continuity and change

National Curriculum links

This session supports:

History

Investigating a theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.
Constructing informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.
Noting connections, contrasts and trends over time and developing the appropriate use of historical terms.