How many kingdoms are there in the world? Quite a lot I imagine, as I can think of a few straight off - Sweden, Denmark,Thailand....

But nobody has the urge to say 'this person comes from the kingdom of Sweden', or 'I'm going on holiday to the kingdom of Thailand'. We must be the only country in the world where we make constant reference to our constitutional monarchy status. I know I live in a kingdom, you don't have to remind me every day, for gawd's sake!

Would it not make more sense to drop the 'United Kingdom' in the name, and just call ourselves 'Great Britain and Northern Ireland'? I believe that's the correct use for the Olympic team. Then if you feel the urge to shorten it, we can just say 'Britain'.
Hmmm, where have I heard that before?
[Rep]

I like the Kingdom part, but would prefer just The Kingdom of England. :-)
It'd be good for tourism too :-).

Ea of dune
[Rep]

I agree Northumbrian, I had the very same debate with Britannist yesterday. The term "UK" has become a fashionable way of saying "Britain" these days.

As I mentioned yesterday, if I'm going to Germany on holiday, I say I'm going to Germany. I don't say I'm going to the federal republic do I? So why do we say the UK instead of Britain? I know some will object because of NI, but the whole of Ireland is part of the British Isles geographically speaking.
[Rep]

Yes, I think we should have a campaign to make 'Great Britain & Northern Ireland' the official title of this political state.

Even the Unionists couldn't object to that!
[Rep]

I generally find that when I'm abroad United Kingdom/UK/Great Britain/Britain and England are all interchangeable.

And anyway, the official title is already "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". It's only the conventional short form that's 'United Kingdom'.
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Northumbrian:
We must be the only country in the world where we make constant reference to our Constitutional Monarchy status.

In fact - a number of other countries have Royalist names.

You seem to have forgotten:

Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of the Arabs)

United Arab Emirates (i.e. Emir)

Philippines (named after King Philip of Spain)

And then there are those countries who proudly display their status as Royalist nations through the name of their national airline - including:

Royal Brunei Airlines

Royal Jordanian Airlines

Emirates
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Northumbrian:
Yes, I think we should have a campaign to make 'Great Britain & Northern Ireland' the official title of this political state. Even the Unionists couldn't object to that!

As a UK Unionist I object because I am from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - not just from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I want reference to the United Kingdom because it highlights the fact that we are a Monarchy and because the term clearly includes Ulster/Northern Ireland.

We often shorten the name just to United Kingdom or UK and it still sounds better than 'Britain' which I refuse to use because there is no reference to Great Britain and because the word 'Britain' does not make clear whether it refers to British Northern Ireland or not.

I have used England/UK for many years.
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Ea of Dune:
I like the Kingdom part, but would prefer just The Kingdom of England. :-) It'd be good for tourism too :-).

Yes, if there were no UK then we would have to call England 'The Kingdom of England' and I would expect that name to appear in large letters on the front of English Passports over the Coat of Arms of the Royal Family.
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Richard the Lionheart:
So why do we say the UK instead of Britain?

Because it sounds better (than using the name 'Britain' which I refuse to do) and because the name United Kingdom refers to all parts of the UK whereas 'Britain' could be seen as a shortened version of Great Britain. And, although I like the Great in Britain, the term Great Britain does not refer to all parts of our nation (as we know it does not include British Northern Ireland).
[Rep]

Originally Posted by Britannist:
Because it sounds better (than using the name 'Britain' which I refuse to do) and because the name United Kingdom refers to all parts of the UK whereas 'Britain' could be seen as a shortened version of Great Britain. And, although I like the Great in Britain, the term Great Britain does not refer to all parts of our nation (as we know it does not include British Northern Ireland).

So if/when NI becomes part of Eire, what should the UK be referred to then?
[Rep]