Inspired by this thread. Let’s go the other way! Brits, forget that Revolution, you win! Let America come home to Mother Britannia! Of course, we’ll have to have a slightly different arrangement this time, no taxation without representation, and all that. So: We’ll do it American-style, a crowned federal republic. A new state, the British Empire (something that never actually existed before in this constitutional form) will be proclaimed, and Her Majesty will Empress of the British Empire, Queen of the UK, Queen of America, etc. The Imperial Parliament also rules and represents all the predominantly Anglo-culture “settler states” of the Commonwealth – Kingdom of Canada (unless merged with America), KoAustralia, KoNZ, some islands. Not the African colonies, etc., they never wanted to be colonized, they can just remain Commonwealth members. We’ll be the Kingdom of America, full constitutional equality with the UK, and you can send Prince Charles or somebody to be our viceroy and he will be treated as King of America in all respects but name, exercise similar powers and similar ceremonial functions as the Queen-Empress in the UK, so he’ll get some practice for being King-Emperor. The allocation of powers and functions between the Imperial and Royal goverments remains to be worked out, but certainly the Imperial should have final authority in all matters of military policy, foreign policy, and trade. And, as at the Royal level, Her Majesty’s role is ceremonial and sovereignty actually rests with the Imperial Parliament.
Which Americans will control by dint of sheer numbers . . .
Oh, and, to unite the Am- British Empire and hold it together, all Kingdoms’ armed forces will be merged into a new Imperial Army, Imperial Navy, Imperial Air Force, all integrated together so that there will be an assortment of men from every Kingdom in every platoon, on every ship, etc.
And Americans, officers and men, will always be the majority there, too . . .
N.B.: The Imperial Parliament is not the Westminster Parliament (which continues as the Parliament of the UK), it is a new and separate and superior-in-sovereignty institution. If it includes a House of Lords, then Her Majesty will be needing a new Imperial Peerage (separate from the Peerage of England, Peerage of the UK, etc.; all new titles, and including American Imperial Peers, Australian Imperial Peers, etc.) to fill it. Since I came up with the idea, I dibs Duke of Earl, nyah.
Oh, and from now on the Queen-Empress, consistent with her newly elevated imperial dignity, will wear a crown with eight half-arches instead of four, like this one but not so “Oriental” in design; and a stylized representation of the new Imperial Crown goes on all the Imperial (as distinct from Royal) heraldry and stuff.
Nous les Québécois refuse to bow to your Queen-Empress. Restore Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, to his rightful throne! And let’s take back the Louisiana purchase while we’re at it!
I think outside the Anglosphere there’s a feeling that we already have pretty much since WWII (or perhaps Suez at the latest). Only the USA is now very much the senior partner in the empire.
Please define.
