Why is it called the United Kingdom?

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:30

Seeing the abudance of british posters here (this is after all a british and american OT forum - with some other nationalities) I figure I will have no problem getting an asnwer in this.

Why is Britain called also the United Kingdom?

AFAIk there is only one king who is in fact a queen.

With whom can she be united with?

Does Wales have a a king/queen too? Or Scotland? Or Northern Ireland? Maybe now that I think about it.

In any case why UK and who thought it up?

Merci.

Dauphin · January 7, 2003, 07:31

Kingdoms of Scotland and England were united under James I of England/ VI of Scotland.

Solly · January 7, 2003, 07:31

Britain isn't called the UK.

The full title is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

So if you say "Britain", you are only really referring to the mainland of the UK, and excluding the Northern Ireland.

Wales is a principality, hence the Prince of Wales.

i think this should be put in the FAQ.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:35

No need for FAQs about this. if nothing else it would deprive you the pleasure of constantly answering it.

So a scot united the kingdoms of england and scotland.

what about whales? it is a pninrcipality and can only have a prince? is it not also united with the rest of the united kingdoms?

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:35

i think this should be put in the FAQ.

sd nearly had it. england became great britain when england and scotland were united in 1707, which then became the united kingdom in 1801 after ireland was incorporated.

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:36

wales was never a kingdom in the first place. since the 13th century the heir to the throne has held the title prince of wales.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:38

so there was a throne but not a kingdom in wales?

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:39

no the heir to the english throne

Dauphin · January 7, 2003, 07:42

Originally posted by C0ckney

sd nearly had it. england became great britain when england and scotland were united in 1707, which then became the united kingdom in 1801 after ireland was incorporated.

England never became anything, its still England.

The first union flag was used in 1606.

http://www.historicalflags.net/ukuf.html

Edit - For Bods benefit

Solly · January 7, 2003, 07:43

netfirms don't allow you to do that, SD.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:44

it all starts to get complicated now

so the guy (lets call him that) who is a heir to become a king/queen of the english thone get the title prince of wales?

so that walch are not feeling left out?

and the scotts are OK with having just an enlgish king/queen.

right?

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:45

i'm not surprised those red Xs were rejected

the dates i gave were for the parliaments, so 1707 was when the parliaments are england and scotland combined to form the parliament of great britain and 1801 was when the parliaments of great britain and ireland combined to form the parliament of the united kingdom.

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:46

no the scots and the welsh hate us, but we don't care what they think, it all works fine

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:49

yeah i know they hate you (hmm they dont REALLY hate you, they just think you're w@nkers, i think) but is this how it goes?

the guy who is a heir to become a king/queen of the english thone get the title prince of wales?

so that walch are not feeling left out?

and the scotts are having just an enlgish king/queen. (not one of their own)

Tolls · January 7, 2003, 07:50

Forget Wales...(whales are large sea going mammals by the way)...Wales has (until relatively recently) been an entirely owned subsidiary of England, and was (until recently) simply another bunch of counties in England. The Prince of Wales bit was not so they didn't feel left out, it was to rub it in that they were quite seriously shat on.

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 07:52

the king or queen of england and scotland has been the same person since james I, who was james IV of scotland.

Laertes · January 7, 2003, 07:56

Originally posted by C0ckney
the king or queen of england and scotland has been the same person since james I, who was james IV of scotland.

James VI of Scotland not IV

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:56

oh ok i see

and the heir to the throne of england is ALWAYS called pricne of wales?

Dauphin · January 7, 2003, 07:57

Originally posted by paiktis22
yeah i know they hate you (hmm they dont REALLY hate you, they just think you're w@nkers, i think) but is this how it goes?

Tommy: Doesn't it make you proud to be Scottish?
Renton: It's SHITE being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the ****ing Earth! The most wretched miserable servile pathetic trash that was ever shat on civilization. Some people hate the English. I don't. They're just ****ers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by ****ers. Can't even find a decent culture to get colonized by. We're ruled by effete *******s. It's a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any ****ing difference!

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 07:58

i got that line from a scottish girl, but I also saw trainspoting

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 08:01

Originally posted by paiktis22
oh ok i see

and the heir to the throne of england is ALWAYS called pricne of wales?

fh:

yes, the heir is always called the prince of wales. so when charles becomes charles III, prince william will become price of wales.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 08:03

ok, im not really sure who that prince william is (is this the one with the drugs?) and charles must be the one with camila but anyway now it is all clear thanks

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 08:04

prince william is prince charles son (and second in line for the throne). prince harry (third in line) is the one who was caught smoking the wacky baccy.

glad i could help

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 08:14

ah yes that is henry, william seems a bit more mature and more at ease with that kingdom thingy being forced up his arse.

but when ius this charles going to become king of england?

i remember him being a price since forever really.

you cant be prince at your 50 years old.

you cant be a n old fart prince.

princes must be handsome strong and young.

kings OTOH can afford to be old farts.

the way he handled that affair with henry was very nice and sweet/paternal IMHO.

but when the hell is he gonna become king? who has to die?

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 08:16

the queen has to die or abdicate, something which seems pretty unlikely in the near future.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 08:17

and who is this queen?

elizabeth?

how many years old is she?

C0ckney · January 7, 2003, 08:22

Elizabeth II is the current queen.

i think she's 78 now, but i'll have to check.

Bereta_Eder · January 7, 2003, 08:31

nah that's ok

all things cleared up thanks

FrustratedPoet · January 7, 2003, 09:20

Originally posted by C0ckney
so when charles becomes charles III, prince william will become price of wales.

Actually, I think that when Charles becomes King he's said that he's going to be called George VI instead of Charles III - I think he just likes confusing Paiktis, to be honest.

Oh, and if Harry ever becomes King he'll be Henry IX.

Confused yet?