Theme: Government & Parliament | Content Type: Journal article

Shrinking the United Kingdom: Rebranding the Realm after the Secession of the Irish Free State

David Torrance

Jan Gemerle ireland

Jan Gemerle

| 1 min read

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a century old, but while the secession of (much of) Ireland in the early 1920s has received substantial historical attention, its impact on the UK has been largely ignored. This article considers how the ‘official mind’ approached the issue of nomenclature before and after 6 December 1922, the point at which the Irish Free State (later the Republic of Ireland) came into existence. Through analysis of archival documents and public discourse, it is shown that discussion initially focussed on the King's style and titles before being extended to how the UK Parliament at Westminster was described. The influence of the Free State in these discussions is considered, as is the primary legislation which finally altered the royal and parliamentary titles in 1927.

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    David Torrance

    David Torrance is a constitutional specialist at the House of Commons Library. Before that, he was a freelance journalist and broadcaster. He is the author of more than a dozen books on Scottish and UK political history.

    Articles by David Torrance
Volume 95, Issue 4

Latest journal

Volume 95, Issue 4

This issue features a collection 'Responding to Rachel Reeves' Mais Lecture', in which authors including Dan Corry, Aveek Bhattacharya and Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni give their analyses of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement of economic policy given before Labour came to power. In addition there is a collection featuring Geoffrey M. Hodgson, Abby Innes and Gavin Kelly responding to Michael Jacobs' assessment of today's global 'polycrisis'. Other articles include Philippe Marlière's assessment of why French social democracy is in turmoil; and Helen Margetts, Cosmina Dorobantu, and Jonathan Bright's piece on building progressive public services with artificial intelligence. A selection of book reviews feature Dick Pountain's review of Left Is Not Woke by Susan Neiman, and Helen McCarthy's review of The Solidarity Economy: Nonprofits and the Making of Neoliberalism after Empire by Tehila Sasson.

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