The term "The Queen of England"

[DynamoKev]

In view of recent events this term has been appearing again.

My theory is that it originates from the USA - does anyone else agree or have a different view about where it started/is from?

royalcentral.co.uk/features/insight/queen-elizabeth-ii-is-not-the-queen-of-england-is-it-so-hard-to-get-it-right-138067/

It may come from Americans. They tend to confuse Britain/UK/England and they have zero idea how a constitutional monarchy works

I've met plenty of britons who confuse Britain/UK/England and have zero idea how the monarchy works!

Of all the things I've seen on MN that blame Americans, this is the oddest of all. The Acts of Union did away with the title King/Queen of England. That was even before there was a USA. Some Americans say it because British people have continued to use it.

Is that not her title though, like the prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh etc? I may very well be wrong about that though! But it was my assumption.

It’s ok, wales and Scotland don’t want her. 😂

@Somethingsnappy

Is that not her title though, like the prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh etc? I may very well be wrong about that though! But it was my assumption.

I posted her title upthread.

I imagine that Nicholas Witchell calls her Queen Elizabeth or Her Majesty as he is very well aware that she is Queen of several countries and he is usuing it as a shorthand to reflect that.

Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

You missed out breaker of chains and mother of dragons.

@SenecaFallsRedux

Of all the things I've seen on MN that blame Americans, this is the oddest of all. The Acts of Union did away with the title King/Queen of England. That was even before there was a USA. Some Americans say it because British people have continued to use it.

Sorry - I didn't mean it as a "blame the USA" (or blame anyone actually) thread. Just curious - it has been fascinating to read the range of replies.

@Somethingsnappy

Is that not her title though, like the prince of Wales, Duke of Edinburgh etc? I may very well be wrong about that though! But it was my assumption.

No it isn't.

It doesn't NOT come from America 😂. The term king or queen of England has been used for 1000 years. It's a historical term. In the past, it was accurate, not it's just traditional

Now*

@PrelovedWithValue

This is one time that I couldn't care less about England being used when someone actually means the UK/Britain etc.

The English can keep her. I don't have anything against her, specifically. Just against the whole idea that being born into one specific family somehow makes you more special than anyone else, and that us plebs should pay for their lavish lifestyle.

Is that you Jeremy? 😆

What drives me crazy is that lots of people here in Canada call her the Queen of England and have zero idea how a constitutional monarchy works

This! People used to say this to me all the time when I lived in Canada! Hellooo, she’s yours too, Canadians!

Is there nothing that Americans are not to blame for?

@JosephineDeBeauharnais

Nicholas Witchell referred to her as “Queen Elizabeth” the other day. He’s the BBC Royal Correspondent . If he can’t get it right, who can?

There’s nothing wrong with calling her Queen Elizabeth. They can’t all refer her to her by her full official title every time they mention her.

Sorry - I didn't mean it as a "blame the USA" (or blame anyone actually) thread. Just curious - it has been fascinating to read the range of replies.

No need to apologize. Lots of Americans do get it wrong, including the media. They often get things wrong about UK royalty, my favorite being a commentator saying that when when William married Kate, it was the first time a monarch or heir to the throne married a commoner since Anne Boleyn. Well, not exactly. For one thing (or three things actually), all of Henry VIII's wives, except for one, after Anne Boleyn were commoners. And there have been several since, including Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Diana Spencer (they had the courtesy title "Lady", but they were still commoners).

I do sometimes email media outlets in the US when they get these things wrong. It's just a little service I provide.

My point was basically that British people get it wrong on their own, not from Americans.

It’s annoying for sure. My theory is it’s passed down in folk memory, in a “Who do you think you are? The King/Queen of England?” kind of way.

Why anyone would actually get it wrong IRL context I have no idea. OTOH you meet people who don’t realise that NI is part of the UK, or that NI even exists, so any level of stupid is possible.

I do sometimes email media outlets in the US when they get these things wrong. It's just a little service I provide. smile

They should hand out honours for devices to Anglophilia and you should be first in the list @SenecaFallsRedux

@Rukaya

It may come from Americans. They tend to confuse Britain/UK/England and they have zero idea how a constitutional monarchy works

I've met plenty of britons who confuse Britain/UK/England and have zero idea how the monarchy works!

Yes, it seems to be endemic.

Services not devices ^

It IS annoying I must admit. she is the Queen of the United Kingdom, not ENGLAND, and yeah it is Americans who I usually hear saying it. I am not BLAMING them for anything. Just saying that it's usually them I hear saying it.

Then again, some of them do make mini gaffes like this.

I saw a Hollywood star being interviewed a few years ago, after the USA had been eliminated from the (football) World Cup the night before, and the presenter reminded him of this. He said, 'yeah the United Kingdom was booted first though, 2 days before the USA.' (It was ENGLAND who were eliminated, but this guy thought the United Kingdom, and England were one and the same...)

So yeah, it's not uncommon for Americans to get it wrong.

@JosephineDeBeauharnais

Nicholas Witchell referred to her as “Queen Elizabeth” the other day. He’s the BBC Royal Correspondent . If he can’t get it right, who can?

So, do grace us with the 'correct' term then. Someone has already asked you what it SHOULD have been.

Please do tell us thick plebs what he should have referred to her as.

@CheeseCakeSunflowers

She's Queen of 16 different countries so including them all would be a bit of a mouthful.

So why just mention one as if It is somehow more important?

YANBU OP. It pisses me off big style and makes me think the person saying it is as thick as mince

Living in the USA I hear this a fair bit.
But I think in part because many English people have never grasped that England and Britain aren't actually the same thing.
So this idea has never been explained to other countries properly by the English.

I like English people and married one but as a Scot it does drive me a bit nuts.

Thank you @RickiTarr

I should keep a list of these. Another favorite is that there was an article some years ago about the husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, that said he was 13th or so in line to the UK throne. He is in fact in line but it has to be in the multiple of hundreds. Even the entire royal family of Norway is way ahead of Ernst August.