Listen to our traditional English nursery rhyme, The Grand Old Duke Of York. The Grand Old Duke Of York can be traced back to the 18th century, and has been rumoured to be about multiple men who held the title, from Richard of York to James II. The repetitive nature of the versus make this a fun and entertaining rhyme for little ones. Nursery rhymes offer numerous developmental benefits for young children from language and literacy skills to cognitive and social, emotional development. Repetition of these short little rhymes has big impacts on our little ones so no wonder they have stood the test of time.