"I WOULD like to know when Great Britain changed to the UK!'' demands Andrew Reynolds (Letters, May 2), demonstrating in one fell swoop a somewhat loose grasp of geography, history and politics - given that Great Britain is so called for no other reason than it is the largest island of the archipelago known, respected and loved the wide world over as the British Isles.
"The UK" came about as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, upon the Act of Union between Ireland and Great Britain. Great Britain was formed by the Act of Union of 1707, which united the parliaments of England (encompassing Wales) and Scotland, in line with the royal succession, which united the crowns of England and Scotland with the accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne, as James I, in 1603.
The UK became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1922, on the creation of the Irish Free State.
Whatever Mr Reynolds may wish to believe, the UK is not a laughing stock: it is just that all the other countries are jealous, as our ancient constitution allows us to enter four teams for the football and rugby world cups.
DAVE JUSON, Freemantle, Southampton.
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