Tag Archives: British history

Why It’s Incorrect To Call Elizabeth II The ‘Queen Of England’

Posted on September 1, 2018 by

I noticed a peculiar headline on the Washington Post’s website tonight: “The Queen of England pays tribute to the Queen of Soul.” Why is it peculiar? Well, there hasn’t been a queen of England since 1707. The English crown disappeared … Continue reading →

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Constitution 101: The Privy Council

Posted on November 18, 2015 by

In honor of the fact that Jeremy Corbyn has finally joined the Privy Council, I thought I’d provide a brief overview of this fascinating corner of the British constitution. ‘Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council’ is one of the United Kingdom’s … Continue reading →

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The BBC’s History Fail

Posted on May 6, 2015 by

The BBC needs to brush up on their history. When discussing possible outcomes for tomorrow’s General Election, they made the following claim: The prime minister could resign, after being defeated on the Queen’s Speech for example, and hand power to the … Continue reading →

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Why Is Simon de Montfort’s Parliament Significant?

Posted on January 20, 2015 by

Today is the 750th anniversary of the meeting of Simon de Montfort’s Parliament. In honor of the occasion, the BBC teamed up with both Houses of Parliament for ‘Democracy Day,’ a series of events and discussions focusing on the past, … Continue reading →

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“WTF is the Lord Privy Seal?”

Posted on July 26, 2014 by

When I was going through my inbox, I discovered a question from the contact form that Gmail had squirreled away. Adrian wrote: WTF is the lord privy seal? As my loyal readers know, the office of Lord Privy Seal (or, to … Continue reading →

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The Melancholy Case of Archbishop Abbot

Posted on July 24, 2014 by

On July 24, 1621, the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Abbot, killed a gamekeeper named Peter Hawkins while hunting in Bramshill Park. That unfortunate accident was the first scene in a protracted legal drama that would become a cause célèbre in … Continue reading →

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