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Citizens of the Crown dependencies are officially classed as “British citizens”, but as with citizens of the ], the accuracy of the appellation regarding each person should be verified. Citizens of the Crown dependencies are officially classed as “British citizens”, but as with citizens of the ], the accuracy of the appellation regarding each person should be verified.

=== Celtic heritage within Britain and Ireland ===

<gallery>
Image:LocationBritishIsles.png|The "British Isles"
Image:Celtic Nations.svg|The "Celtic Nations"
</gallery>

The United Kingdom was once inhabited by ]ic tribes, the heritage of which lives on today.

The remaining Celtic cultures are sometimes called the "]":

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Branch
! Area
! Name of Celtic people
! Language
! Celtic culture
! Example of use
|-
| rowspan = 3 |]
| ]
| ''']'''
| ]
| ] is taught in ] (where 10% "have some knowledge").
| {{nowrap| ] }}
|-
| ]
| ''']'''
| ]
|Around 60,000 ] citizens speak ] (1%), and around 1.5m (25%) speak ] (a close relative to ]). In 1997, ] voted for its own ], and a referendum for complete independence was scheduled for 2010.<ref>, '']'', 12 April 2007.</ref><ref></ref> Scotland has always had its own legal system.
| {{nowrap| ] }}(]) {{nowrap| ] }} (])
|-
| ]
| ''']'''
| ]
| The ] is a self governing ] in the ], situated between northern England and Northern Ireland. Although the ] is no longer commonly spoken, a hybrid form of ] is widely used—which contains many original Manx words.
| {{nowrap| ] }}
|-
| rowspan=2 | ]ic
| ]
| ''']'''
| ]
| ] is spoken by 600,000 people (20% of the population), and ] is bilingually sign-posted. In 1997 ] voted for its own ].
| {{nowrap| ] }}
|-
| ]
| ''']'''
| ]
| The ] of ] is the south-western peninsula-tip of the ]. The ] and culture has undergone a renaissance in recent years. It is spoken by 3,500 people.
| {{nowrap| ] }}
|-
|}


==Timeline (with historical examples)== ==Timeline (with historical examples)==

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Misplaced Pages: Manual of Style (biographies) provides that the opening paragraph of a biographical article should state the person's "nationality", which it suggests will in "most modern-day cases" refer to "the country of which the person is a citizen, national or permanent resident". However, there is no consensus on how this guideline should be applied to people from the United Kingdom.

This essay provides a brief breakdown of the United Kingdom, giving examples of how the constituent nationalities or national identities have been described, and offers a guide on finding the best opening paragraph description for a UK citizen. This essay includes examples of nationalities and national identities of those from the UK's constituent states.

Constituent countries of the UK

The United Kingdom

  • The United Kingdom The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (in full, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) is made up of four constituent countries:

Under British law, these four countries are an equal union, sharing a common British citizenship. The term "Britain" means "the United Kingdom". A UK passport describes its holder as a "British citizen". According to British nationality law all citizens of the UK have British nationality. This has been so since the Acts of Union 1707, in which, after negotiations for a union treaty ended in July 1706, the acts were ratified by both the parliaments of England and Scotland.

"Great Britain" strictly speaking means England, Scotland and Wales, and does not include Northern Ireland, so it is not the same thing as "Britain".

Northern Ireland: dual citizenship

People born in Northern Ireland are entitled to Irish citizenship by default (Irish citizenship being a fundamental "entitlement" that extends to all of the island). This automatically allows for dual British and Irish citizenship.

The Crown dependencies

There are three Crown dependencies that are part of the British Isles but are not part of the United Kingdom. As they are possessions of the British Crown they are not sovereign nations in their own right, but they are governed by their own legislative assemblies. The Crown dependencies and the United Kingdom are collectively known as the "British Islands".

The Crown dependencies are:

Citizens of the Crown dependencies are officially classed as “British citizens”, but as with citizens of the home nations, the accuracy of the appellation regarding each person should be verified.

Timeline (with historical examples)

Union did not come peacefully for the countries involved. It happened first in the 16th century between England and Wales, during the Welsh-descended Tudor dynasty. In the 18th century, a century after a Tudor-connected Scottish Stuart King also became King of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain was formed. Political union happened with Ireland several centuries after it was conquered by England: this led to the "United Kingdom" comprising Great Britain and the island of Ireland. The current "United Kingdom" comprises Great Britain and Northern Ireland, after Ireland achieved independence.

Year Event Event-related nationality Example of use
43–300 Roman invasion of the Celtic tribes of Britannia Britain, or Great Britain is often used for Britannia. The terms Ancient Briton or "Brythons" can be used for its people Britons, British Boudica
300–900 Scotland north of the Forth-Clyde line People from Fortriu can be called Picts; people from Dál Riata Gaels. It is acceptable to call people from Dál Riata Scots before 900, but this must be piped to either Scoti or Gaels, not Scottish people. Pictish people before c. 900 should not be called "Scots". Pictish; Gaelic Nechtan Morbet or Áedán mac Gabráin; but remember characters such as Eóganan mac Óengusa, Nechtan mac Der-Ilei, and Kenneth MacAlpin, who may be either.
300–1200 "Scotland" south of Forth before the 1200s (excluding Galloway c. 900–1230s) Originally entirely "British", English culture spread from the south-east. People from this region can be called British (or Cumbrian, etc.) or English (or Anglo-Saxon, etc.) depending on their ethnicity. They should not be called Scottish in this period. Note also that in the period 1000—1200s Gaelic Scots, Norse-Gaels, Normans (or Anglo-Normans, etc.) and Flemings come into the region and are born there, without having any obvious standard ethnic identification. British or English (depending on culture) Run of Alt Clut (British), Owen the Bald (British), or, Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (English), Heathored (English), Richard de Morville (Norman), William de Brus, 3rd Lord of Annandale (Norman), Gillemachoi (Gaelic), Bricius de Douglas (unclear, but Flemish origin)
c.900 – c.1230s Galloway & Carrick in the High Middle Ages People from this region should not be called Scottish in this period. Galwegian, Gallovidian, etc. The region was not part of Scotland in this period, so it would be anachronistic to refer to its inhabitants as "Scottish". Gille Aldan, Gille Ruadh, Uhtred of Galloway, Gille Brigte of Galloway
500–1707 consolidation of England English is often used for the Heptarchy of Anglo Saxon kingdoms that came to be known as "England" sometime in the 10C. English Alfred the Great
Early Middle Ages Dumnonia a.k.a. West Wales Before the 8th century Dumnonia was a separate Celtic state but was conquered by Wessex during the expansion of Anglo Saxon England; subsequently it has formed England's West Country. Brythons Erbin of Dumnonia
antiquity to present Cornwall Before the 10th century Cornwall was a separate entity and not part of England; because of a Celtic tradition and kinship that has endured in the county, a Cornish person may well not consider themselves English. Cornish or Cornovii (pre Roman) Tristan
500–1283 consolidation of Wales Welsh is generally used; "British" and "Briton" used in contexts into the Later Middle Ages. 1283 sees the conquest of Wales by Edward I Welsh (or British, Briton, per above) Hywel Dda
c.900–1200s High Medieval Scotland Both Scottish, and Scots, should only be used for people north of the Forth-Clyde line, as the area to the south was not thought of as "Scotland" until the later 13th century. Scottish, Scots Dub mac Maíl Coluim, Crínán of Dunkeld, Óengus of Moray, Edgar of Scotland, Máel Ísu I, Earl of Strathearn, etc.
1200s–1707 consolidation of Scotland Both Scottish, and Scots (though as with England from 1066, avoid calling first or second generation Norman incomers "Scottish") Scottish, Scots Robert the Bruce, John of Islay, Earl of Ross, John Barbour (poet), David Leslie, Lord Newark, etc.
1066 Norman conquest of England The Norman conquest of England significantly changed the course of English history. The Normans gradually became naturalised, as did Normandy itself with France. Norman Gerald of Wales, Strongbow
1169 Norman invasion of Ireland Following the invasion, a series of unexpected events causes central authority in Ireland to fall into union with the English Crown. However, despite Gaelic Ireland losing central authority, the English Crown was unable to consolidate authority effectively, leading to a centuries-long power struggle. Anglo-Irish
1536 integration of England and Wales Welsh Law is abolished and Wales is integrated through the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. English, Welsh Shakespeare, Robert Recorde
1540 – mid-1600s Tudor conquest of Ireland, Plantation of Ulster The Gaelic order in Ireland collapses following protracted war with England and central English authority is consolidated in Ireland. A hundred thousand English and Scottish settlers are "planted" in Ulster to quash resistance in the province, sowing communal differences that underlie the modern conflict in Northern Ireland. English, Welsh, Scots Irish, Irish  
1707 union with Scotland The "Kingdom of Great Britain" was created. The term "British" came into common usage. British becomes an option Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, Walter Scott
1801 union with Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created. British, Irish Oscar Wilde, James Joyce
1921–22 creation of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created. Northern Irish, Ulstermen/women George Best, Ian Paisley
present-day United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland All uses for present-day citizens: British, English, Irish, Northern Irish, Scottish, Welsh

Present-day UK nationality (examples of use)

Editors have strongly opposing ideas on the relative importance of the appellations "British", "English", "Northern Irish", "Scottish" and "Welsh".

Various different methods of referring to a UK citizen's nationality have been adopted, including:

Name and title Nationality Note
Jane Smith is a British chef... who happens to be English.
John Brown is an English lyricist... who writes about English life.
Liam O'Connor was a Belfast-born footballer... who is an "expatriate" from Northern Ireland, perhaps.
Muira McClair is a British politician from Scotland... who is part of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom.
Dafydd Gruffudd was a Welsh author... who happened to write in English, rather than Welsh.
David Tanner (born on 13 June 1955 in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland) is a football pundit... who has only his birth country mentioned.
Tommy Arrow is a UK comedian... Occurs occasionally, but is considered by many to be a lazy option.

No variation is particular to any one nationality.

Guide to finding UK nationality

The following guide is designed to help find the right "opening paragraph" nationality for a UK citizen's biography.

  • When looking for available evidence (perhaps through biographies, encyclopedias and news articles), bear in mind that there is often no consensus across the UK, and many conflicting examples can exist for any one person. Often, however, a clear national preference can arise (e.g.: Sean Connery is widely referred to as a Scottish actor).
  • Bear in mind too that non-UK media can make simplistic (and erroneous) assumptions about UK citizens: some use only British or English to describe them.
  • Look specifically for evidence that the person has a preferred nationality. You may wish to refer to the evidence in a footnote. The writer Iris Murdoch considered herself to be Irish, though some feel she was perhaps wrong to do so: the consensus on Misplaced Pages was once to call her "Dublin-born", but the first paragraph of her article now describes her as British.

Sport

For sportspeople, their nationality is usually described by the national team that they qualify to represent or, in individual sports, the national sports association or federation with which they are registered.

In the UK, there are generally three different ways of organising national teams:

1. The United Kingdom competing as a whole

2. Ireland competing as a whole island (eg Republic of Ireland + Northern Ireland) and a Great Britain team representing the rest of the United Kingdom

3. Separate teams for each home nation. Ireland may compete as a whole island, or there may be separate teams for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

There may be variations and complications in following this rule - in cricket, for example, there is one team for England and Wales (usually called 'England'), one for Scotland, and one for Ireland. However, as neither Scotland nor Ireland play test cricket, the best players from these nations often represent England. If in doubt, follow the standards for a particular sport.

Changing an existing UK nationality

It cannot be called "wrong" to change an existing nationality (e.g.: Welsh to British, or British to Irish) provided a sufficient connection exists.

Before making a change:

  1. Consider why the existing nationality was chosen.
  2. Examine the article for details that support the existing label.
  3. Look for existing consensus on the discussion page, and in any archives that may be present.
  4. Conduct research to be certain your choice is preferable (you can consult the guide above).

Sometimes no single "correct" choice exists. Is your change actually for the better? An editor may query you, or revert your choice—so be prepared to explain your decision.

Above all, be civil, assume good faith and respect other people's points of view. It is of course OK to "be bold" and apply your choice, but remember that strong feelings surround UK identity, and firm disagreement may arise!

Do not enforce uniformity

It is not possible to create a uniforming guideline, when such strong disagreement exists on the relative importance of the labels.

Re-labelling nationalities on grounds of consistency—making every UK citizen "British", or converting each of those labelled "British" into their constituent nationalities—is strongly discouraged. Such imposed uniformity cannot, in any case, be sustained.

Do not "edit war"!

Be aware that "edit warring" with other editors by repeatedly changing the text of an article to suit your views is against Misplaced Pages policy, and may lead to action being taken against you by Misplaced Pages administrators.

Cannot decide?

If you are still uncertain how your UK citizen's nationality is best labelled, you may wish to follow this course of action:

  1. Look at what others have done in comparable articles.
  2. Post a message asking for advice or assistance on the talk page, and/or on relevant WikiProjects and notice boards.
  3. Consider simply leaving the matter to someone who has a better feeling for it.
  4. When an idea of nationality exists, consider deferring to that view.

WikiProjects and notice boards

See also

Notes

  1. See the discussion that took place in 2007 and 2008 which is archived at Misplaced Pages talk:Manual of Style (biographies)/2007-2008 archive: British nationality.
  2. ]
  4. "Ratification". UK parliament website. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. Conradi, Peter J. (8 September 2001). "Iris Murdoch: A Life by Peter J Conradi". The Guardian. Iris Murdoch always claimed she was Irish. But was she mythologising herself?
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