By the time the Romans invaded
its political survival on support from the Irish
Britain, many tribes were living in the region, but
Parliamentary Party. The conflict deepened as some
despite a number of attempts to control them,
unionists and nationalists in Ireland formed private
Roman rule never permanently extended to most
armies. In 1914 Home Rule was approved in the
of Scotland. In the sixth century, the Scots, a Celtic
Government of Ireland Act but implementation was
people from Ireland, settled on the north-west
suspended because of the First World War.
coast of the island of Great Britain, giving their
name to the present-day Scotland.
In 1916 a nationalist uprising in Dublin was put
down and its leaders executed. Two years later the
The kingdoms of England and Scotland were
nationalist Sinn Féin party won a large majority of
frequently at war during the Middle Ages. When
the Irish seats in the General Election to the
King Edward I tried to impose direct English rule
Westminster Parliament. Its members refused to
over Scotland in 1296, a revolt for independence
attend the House of Commons and instead
broke out, which ended in 1328 when King
formed their own assembly – the Dáil Éireann – in
Edward III recognised its leader, Robert the Bruce,
Dublin and the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
as King Robert I of Scotland.
began operations against the British
administration in 1919.
In 1603 Queen Elizabeth I of England, who never
married and had no children of her own, was
In 1920 a new Government of Ireland Act provided
succeeded by her nearest heir, King James VI of
for separate Parliaments in Northern and
Scotland. He became King James I of England and
Southern Ireland, subordinate to Westminster. The
so united the English and Scottish crowns in one
Act was implemented in Northern Ireland in 1921,
person.
giving six of the nine counties of the province of
Ulster their own Parliament with powers to
In 1745 Charles Edward Stuart (also known as
manage internal affairs. However, the Act proved
‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ or ‘The Young Pretender’)
unacceptable in the South and the 26 counties of
attempted to retake the British throne for the
Southern Ireland eventually left the UK in 1922.
Stuarts. Landing in the Hebrides, he went on to
Edinburgh, defeating government forces at
From 1921 until 1972 Northern Ireland had its
Prestonpans. He advanced southwards into
own Parliament in which the unionists, primarily
England, capturing Carlisle, but was turned back
representing the Protestant community, held a
at Derby and eventually defeated at the Battle of
permanent majority and formed the regional
Culloden, north-east of Inverness, in April 1746.
government. The nationalist minority was
effectively excluded from political office and
Politically, England and Scotland remained
influence.
separate during the 17th century, apart from a
period of union forced on them by Oliver
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the civil rights
Cromwell in the 1650s. It was not until 1707 that
movement and reactions to it resulted in serious
the English and Scottish Parliaments agreed on
inter-communal rioting, leading to the British
a single Parliament for Great Britain to sit at
Army being sent in to help the police keep law and
Westminster in London. Nearly 300 years later, in
order in 1969.
July 1999, devolution meant that power to
5
The United Kingdom and its people
1 The United Kingdom
administer Scottish affairs was returned to a new
taxation systems. The UK Government is
Scottish Parliament (see page 21).
responsible for their international relations and
external defence.
Wales
Wales remained a Celtic stronghold ruled by
The UK is one of the 15 Member States of the
sovereign princes under the influence of England
European Union (EU – see page 59) but the
after the Romans had left Britain. In 1282 King
Channel Islands and Isle of Man are neither EU
Edward I brought Wales under English rule and the
Member States in their own right nor part of the
castles he built in the north remain among the UK’s
UK Member State. Broadly speaking, EU rules on
finest historic monuments. Edward I’s eldest son –
the free movement of goods and the Common
later King Edward II – was born at Caernarfon in
Agricultural Policy apply to the Islands, but not
1284 and was created the first English Prince of
those on the free movement of services or
Wales in 1301. The eldest son of the reigning
persons. Islanders benefit from the provision for
monarch continues to bear this title, Prince Charles
free movement of persons only if they have close
being made Prince of Wales in 1969.
ties with the UK.
At the beginning of the 15th century, Welsh
Further reading
resentment of unjust English laws and