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  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

  • - I'm Neil.  -And I'm Sam.

  • People in the UK are enjoying a four-day holiday as part of the celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.

  • A jubilee celebrates the anniversary of a special event, and the word is mostly associated with the Royal Family.

  • In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, commemorating 70 years since she became Queen in 1952.

  • People are doing all kinds of things to celebrate.

  • From large events at Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral, to smaller street parties in towns and cities up and down the country, and abroad.

  • In this programme, we look at the Platinum Jubilee in an unusual way, by hearing about a cake competition to make the official jubilee cakethe Platinum Pudding.

  • And, as usual, we'll be learning some related vocabulary as well.

  • This isn't the first celebration of Queen Elizabeth's reignthe period of time when a monarch rules a country.

  • In 1977, the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee, marking 25 years as queen, followed by her Golden Jubilee in 2002 , and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

  • But what's so special about this year's Platinum Jubilee is that Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch ever to spend 70 years on the throne.

  • And I have a question about it, Sam.

  • Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest-ever reigning monarch, but who was the previous longest-reigning before her?

  • Was it: (A) Henry VIII (B) Elizabeth I? or (C) Queen Victoria?  

  • Hmm... I know it's (C) Queen Victoria.

  • OK. I'll reveal the answer at the end of the programme.

  • As the first monarch ever to have a platinum jubilee, many celebrations are being planned for the Queen.

  • These include an official birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, which ends with jet planes flying over Buckingham Palace,

  • and the Platinum Pageant, a live concert in front of the palace, featuring music and dancing, puppets of the Queen's favourite pets, her corgi dogs, and a performance by Ed Sheeran.

  • And that's just in London.

  • All across the UK street parties are being held for people to eat and drink with friends and neighbours.

  • There's a tradition of inventing a new food dish to commemorate jubilees, going all the way back to the Victoria sponge, a cake named after Queen Victoria.

  • This year a competition was held to find a new dish to become the official pudding of the jubilee.

  • Here's BBC reporter, Daniella Relph, to explain more.

  • First, there was the Victoria sponge, then coronation chicken, now we have a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Pudding.

  • The winning lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle is a twist on a traditional trifle, with layers of Swiss roll, jelly, custard, mandarins, amaretti biscuits and cream.

  • In 1953, a mix of chicken and curry cream sauce called, coronation chicken, was invented to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's coronation, the ceremony at which she was made queen.

  • This year, competition winner, Jemma Melvin, has invented a lemon and Swiss roll amaretti trifle as the official jubilee cake.

  • Trifle is a sweet, cold pudding made of three layers a layer of fruit and cake, a layer of custard, and a top layer of cream.

  • Jemma's jubilee trifle is a twist on a traditional trifle.

  • When talking about food, people use the phrase "a twist on something" to describe a new variation of a traditional recipe, using different, exciting ingredients.

  • Jemma learned her winning recipe from her grandmothers.

  • She wants her trifle to be "the people's pudding," something to be enjoyed by everyone.

  • Here is Jemma Melvin describing how she felt to discover her trifle had been chosen as the official Platinum Pudding.

  • I cannot believe it!

  • Everything I was up against was just the most beautiful desserts and pudding with beautiful stories.

  • This quite humble trifle has won is a bit surreal.

  • Jemma describes her trifle as humblemodest, and not proud.

  • Although the pudding contains ingredients like amaretti biscuits and cream, which are good enough for a queen, she wanted to base it on a humble trifle, something everyone around the country can make.

  • Enjoying a bowl of Jemma's Platinum Pudding sounds like a great way for some to celebrate the Queen's seventy-year reign.

  • Which reminds me of your question, Neil.

  • We know Elizabeth II has reigned for 70 years, but who was the second longest-serving monarch?

  • I said it was (C) Queen Victoria.

  • I'm glad you were so sure, because you were correct, Sam.

  • Victoria was queen for almost 64 years which is a long time, but not as long as Elizabeth.

  • OK, let's recap the vocabulary from this programme about the Queen's jubilee, a celebration of the anniversary of a special event, usually involving the Royal Family.

  • A king or queen's reign means the period of time they rule a country.

  • A coronation is the ceremony at which someone is made monarch, the king or queen.

  • Trifle is a popular pudding made of a layer of fruit and cake, a layer of custard, and a top layer of cream.

  • If you say a food dish is a twist on something, you mean it's a variation of a traditional recipe, using new and exciting ingredients.

  • And finally, someone who is humble is modest, and not proud.

  • If you were inspired by this recipe, why not try making it. But that's all from us.

  • - Goodbye for now. - Goodbye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

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