These Islands

It's strange watching people give a potted history of 'these islands', the names of kingdoms, areas and getting 70% of it right, and then the rest becomes rather mangled and garbled.

Here's my attempt at setting the record straight  - and whilst we're talking about getting things straight, I'd be so happy if this image was set on a north/south axis. This titled map was used on the weather reports when I was a child. It wasn't until Google Maps happened across my computer screen I realised most of Scotland is further west than most of England.

The Norman Invasion of Ireland (1169-71) is the time where I'm starting. This saw the end of Celtic rule, and the office of High King of Ireland. The island was declared a fief of the Holy See under the Lordship of the King of England. The reality was Ireland was carved up, and power given to Ango-Norman nobles.

In 1541, the Parliament of Ireland conferred the crown of Ireland upon Henry VIII of England. The Catholic monarchs of Europe  did not recognise this as Ireland had previously been decreed a fief of the Holy See, and as Henry had been excommunicated (1538) he could not possibly be king. When Henry's daughter, Mary became Queen of England, the Pope (Paul IV) issued a papal bull  recognising  Mary, and her husband, Phillip II of Spain as Queen and King of Ireland together with her heirs and successors.

Between 1277 and 1283, the English (under the rule of Edward I) attacked and subjugated Wales. The Statute of Rhuddlan (1284) formally declared the end of the independence of the Principality of Wales, and annexed it to the crown of England. Later, in 1535 and 1542, under Henry VIII, Wales was legally incorporated into the Kingdom of England.

By 1555, Mary was Queen of England (including Wales) and separately of Ireland. Three years later, on her death, her half sister, Elizabeth inherited the crowns.

On Elizabeth's death in 1603, her second cousin, James VI, King of Scots,  became king in Ireland, and also England (inc. Wales).

Then in 1707, with the Union of Parliament, James became king of the Kingdom of Great Britain. (Great Britain also refers to the largest island, as well as the name of the kingdom.) This incorporated Scotland, England and Wales. Ireland was still a separate country, albeit with the same monarch.

In 1801, Ireland was added into the mix. The new country was called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1921, Ireland was partitioned into two provinces. Six of the nine counties of Ulster formed Northern Ireland, and the rest of the island was to be Southern Ireland.. The UK government intended them to be self-governing, but remain with in the UK. This was accepted by Northern Ireland, but the people of the south refused and in 1922, the Republic of Ireland was formed. The name of the UK changed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Isle of Man has never been a part of the UK. It is a crown dependency, and the monarch of the UK is the Lord of Mann.

Missing from the image above, are the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey. They are also crown dependencies, and not part of the UK.

There are many people, especially in the Republic of Ireland, and on the Isle of Man, that using the term 'British Isles' for these islands is woefully outdated, and colonial. In joint governmental papers (UK and Ireland), the term used is 'these islands'. Other names are the  'Anglo-Celtic Isles' and the 'Atlantic Archipelago'.