Queen Elizabeth Gracefully Declines 'Oldie' Award with Brilliant Response

Queen Elizabeth may be 95, but she isn’t ready to accept an “Oldie” quite yet.

The queen gracefully declined Oldie magazine’s “The Oldie of the Year” award through a letter written by her assistant private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker, and shared on the publication’s Twitter account Tuesday.

The humorous award and annual awards show (also known as TOOTY) celebrates older people who have made a significant contribution to public life.

In the letter, addressed to entertainer and awards chair Gyles Brandreth, Laing-Baker praised the awards and explained why the queen doesn’t quite fit “the relevant criteria.”

“Dear Mr Brandreth, thank you for your letter of 30th July, addressed to Sir Edward Young, asking if The Queen would accept The Oldie of the Year award,” said the note, dated Aug. 21.

“Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel, as such The Queen does not believe she meets the relevant criteria to be able to accept, and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient,” the letter continued. “This message comes to you with Her Majesty’s warmest best wishes.”

The queen’s response is the perfect fit for Oldie magazine, which is intended as “a free-thinking, funny magazine” and “a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity,” according to editor Harry Mount.

Despite the royals’ reluctance to accept their Oldies, the queen’s daughter-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attended the magazine’s awards on Tuesday.

Question 1 Decide if the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and give evidence from the text

a) The Queen’s rejection of the award was offensive. 

b) You need to have done something relevant to receive the award. 

c) The Queen believes there are other candidates who deserve the award. 

d) Oldie thinks media worries excessively about image and age. 

Question 3 Find words or expressions in the text that have a similar meaning to the ones given

a) In an elegant way (par.2)

b) Important (par.3)

c) To direct (par.4)

d) To admire (par.4)

e) Receiver (par.6)

f) To be present (par.8)

KEY

Question 1

a) FALSE: “The queen gracefully declined Oldie magazine’s “The Oldie of the Year” award”

b) TRUE: “The humorous award and annual awards show (also known as TOOTY) celebrates older people who have made a significant contribution to public life.”

c) TRUE: “and hopes you will find a more worthy recipient,”

d) TRUE: “a press obsessed with youth and celebrity,” 

Question 3

a) Gracefully

b) Significant

c) (to) address / addressed

d) (to) praise / praised

e) Recipient

f) (to) attend / attended