Your knowledge of British history / culture

[VelvetTrews]

I live abroad and have done so since I was 20. My friends and acquaintances always have so many questions for me about British culture, the royal family, politics, the commonwealth etc. I have to admit i don’t always know the answers and everyone always seems so surprised.
DH (not British) says I am lacking in general knowledge about my own country. I feel quite far from the UK having lived abroad for nearly 20 years but still a bit stupid when people ask me things about my own country and I can’t answer .

A few examples of questions:

• The history of South Africa and the Commonwealth
• How many siblings Prince Phillip had
• What was the exact relationship of Lord Mountbatten to Prince Charles

That was just last night! I clearly need to go on a crash course in British history

@Zwellers

I've never head of Lord mountbatten for example. His relevance to my life is precisely zero.

But why would the date on which the last wolf on these islands died be of any more relevance to you?

Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India, charged with managing a peaceful transition to independence, avoid a civil war and get Britain out with its reputation intact, and was a key player in the negotiations that ended with Partition, the creation of Pakistan, enormous displacement, bloodshed and millions of refugees and migrants, many of whom ended up in the UK. He's bound up with the reason that British Asians are the largest ethnic minority population. He;s not some bit of niche royal windowdressing.

Rukaya, I wouldn't have a clue on any of the the three questions because royalty and the commonwealth doesn't interest me,those are very niche areas

I'm not looking down on you for not knowing, but they are NOT "very niche areas" in any sense. They're general knowledge.

There does seem to be a lack of general knowledge of history in Britain.

If you talk to an average someone (who has had access to education) from somewhere outside of Britain, they will know more about British history than the average Briton. Though it does tend to be the British history of the relationship Britain had with their country.

Now considering Britain has had a 'relationship' with quite a lot of countries this results in a lot of non-British people knowing more about British history than Britons do!

@VelvetTrews there's a decent podcast called "The British History Podcast" which goes right the way back - www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/

Though it would probably be better if you want to able to talk to people that live around about it to check out modern history - and, depending on where you live, staring there.

Alternatively, maybe start with the relationship between Britain and Ireland. Which might the next topical conversation you might find yourself in, - and you will at least then be able to answer any questions you might get asked (unless you are in Ireland of course because everyone around you will know more!!)

This might interest you too

www.historytoday.com/archive/head-head/why-do-british-know-so-little-about-irish-history

Personally, I think people in Britain don't know much because generally how history is taught (anywhere) is bias. (Pretty much propaganda.)

So much of British history is not positive (which also means it's not so not as appealing to learn after school either). You'll find that someone in Britain will probably be more aware of the World Wars than they are of anything else.

@Rukaya

Rukaya, I wouldn't have a clue on any of the the three questions because royalty and the commonwealth doesn't interest me,those are very niche areas

I'm not looking down on you for not knowing, but they are NOT "very niche areas" in any sense. They're general knowledge.

Well maybe. But what is general knowledge? I find people think it's politics, history and sport.

What about science? This does seem to be considered more niche - except it's not really is it. Why is knowing which a Prince Phillip's sister married twice or which of his brother-in-laws fought 'on the other side' during the was less niche than knowing what the atomic for Polonium is or how many hearts an octopus has

There was a not dissimilar topic discussed on here the other day, and all I'll say is that it was mentioned that at one point there was a deliberate and concerted effort not to educate young people about aspects of UK/British history, partly because so much of it is unsavoury, but also because it tends to contradict the 'happy clappy all one people under one banner' nonsense that government likes to spout.

If people in the UK lack sufficient understanding and knowledge of UK history and culture, how can that be anything other than a failing in our educational system?

The history of South Africa and the Commonwealth

I am pretty knowledgeable about this one as we covered South Africa and the Commonwealth extensively in Modern Studies (politics and social science subject in Scotland) at school.

How many siblings Prince Phillip had what was the exact relationship of Lord Mountbatten to Prince Charles

I quite enjoy a royal biography and the Battenburgs are quite interesting. And the Crown of course.

As to general British history - I know certain periods quite well (Tudors, Stuarts, Jacobite Rebellions, Victorians, Interwar Period and WWII) the rest just general knowledge.

Why is knowing which a Prince Phillip's sister married twice or which of his brother-in-laws fought 'on the other side' during the was less niche than knowing what the atomic for Polonium is or how many hearts an octopus has

It's not. None of those things are niche!

What is niche then?

What is niche then?

If it sounds like a question in a pretty easy pub quiz it't not niche. Calling any and all general knowledge "niche" might explain why nobody seems to have any!

It's not general knowledge just because you think that it should be. I still don't care about knowing who lord mountbatten was.

@elp30 sorry. Had my mind focused on P. Philip.

Lord Mountbatten was originally Prince Louis of Battenberg,Prince Philip's mother's brother.And they were the grandchildren of Queen Victoria's daughter Alice,hence the relationship to the Queen.And he was Charles' great uncle.
Which is useless information basically.
I didn't know how many sisters Philip had,I do at the moment and possibly did as a teenager when I was more interested in the royal family!
I could have a stab at answering No 1,but there is so much more of British history and culture that isn't covered by those questions,who could know it all?You could know a little about a lot of it and perhaps a lot about certain parts but there will always be bits you don't know about.

It's not general knowledge just because you think that it should be

No of course not. It's general knowledge because it just IS