# If Scotland becomes independent, what will the UK be called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284 "2014-02-13T22:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/41 "2014-02-14T19:30:57Z")
So who would get the Nac Mac Feegles? Scotland or would they stay with the UK? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/42 "2014-02-14T22:27:59Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > So who would get the Nac Mac Feegles? Scotland or would they stay with the UK? They will end up whereever they are wanted least: \*Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willna’ be fooled again! \* I’m expecting the UK to be renamed with an unpronounceable typographical symbol, and be referred to as “the Kingdom formerly known as United” ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/43 "2014-02-14T23:05:18Z")
Yo do know that it won’t happen? Now that they have been told categorically that they can’t keep the English pound, they will realise that they have more to lose than gain by separating. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/44 "2014-02-14T23:11:45Z")
Albion Minor (hehe). ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/45 "2014-02-15T04:32:00Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > Seriously though, even after separation it will still be the United Kingdom (Queenie will be shared directly as one monarch, unlike in her other realms where technically the Queen of Canada is separate from the Queen of the UK.) Just that there will be two separate political and independent entities making up that Kingdom. I would have thought that if Scotland becomes independent, then the Queen will be “the Queen in right of Scotland” and “the Queen in right of, er, whatever”, the same as she is now “the Queen in right of Canada” and “the Queen in right of Papua New Guinea” and so on. Who is proposing that the crowns of Scotland and [Whatever] would still be a single crown post-independence, and why would it be done that way? ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/46 "2014-02-15T05:58:17Z")
Oh, and from current news reports and Facebook messages from my UK friends - either The Sunken Kingdom or maybe Atlantis. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/47 "2014-02-15T07:43:10Z")
United Kingdom _in_ Great Britain and Northern Ireland/North East Ulster. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/48 "2014-02-15T20:55:53Z")
Lesser Britain ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/49 "2014-02-16T23:33:29Z")
:: pout :: no one liked mine? C’mon! the **Untied** Kingdom, already! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/50 "2014-02-16T23:49:44Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Yo do know that it won’t happen? Now that they have been told categorically that they can’t keep the English pound, they will realise that they have more to lose than gain by separating. Who’s going to stop them from keeping it? It’s a publicly traded currency. They can keep using it as long as they like as long as they don’t mind The Remaining UK from dictating their fiscal policy. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/51 "2014-02-17T07:55:08Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > I would have thought that if Scotland becomes independent, then the Queen will be “the Queen in right of Scotland” and “the Queen in right of, er, whatever”, the same as she is now “the Queen in right of Canada” and “the Queen in right of Papua New Guinea” and so on. Who is proposing that the crowns of Scotland and [Whatever] would still be a single crown post-independence, and why would it be done that way? I cannot imagine Queenie consenting to the separation of the crowns as she is a traditionalist and her view would hold considerable sway. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/52 "2014-02-17T08:56:49Z")
AFAIK, the realms having “separate crowns” is just a factual statement about the operation of their executives. If the Queen acts on Scottish business on the advice of only her Scottish ministers, she’s exercising the authority of a separate Scottish crown whether she likes it or not. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/53 "2014-02-17T16:23:04Z")
Changed my mind. A Scots friend says he would refer to the former UK as “Wee Britain” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/54 "2014-02-17T16:38:31Z")
“Somewhat United Commonwealth/Kingdom” ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/55 "2014-02-17T18:51:05Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > “Somewhat United Commonwealth/Kingdom” More like, “Nominally United, But Not in Any Meaningful Way Kingdom/Commonwealth.” ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/56 "2014-02-17T19:13:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > All I want to know is if they’d copy the Romans and put up a new wall up on the border. They could call it Cameron’s Wall. We were just discussing this in class today. One student suggested they start laying the bricks now, to beat the rush. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/57 "2014-02-17T19:30:40Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > More like, “Nominally United, But Not in Any Meaningful Way Kingdom/Commonwealth.” Nobody is going to remember _The NUBNAMWKC_. Mine, on the other hand… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/58 "2014-02-19T02:44:35Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Given that the National average lifespan would increase, along with a reduction in average smoking, drinking and pie-eating I would say ‘Long Live the Queen and her subjects’ A South Yorkshireman criticizing pie eaters… Mmm… That’s interesting. Next week: Glaswegians claiming that deep fried pizza forms part of your ‘Five A Day’… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/59 "2014-02-20T04:05:11Z")
> [@Pjen](#): > > I cannot imagine Queenie consenting to the separation of the crowns as she is a traditionalist and her view would hold considerable sway. She already has [sixteen national crowns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_realm) (plus at least that many more [state and provincial crowns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crown#Divisions)). What’s one more among friends? ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284/60 "2014-02-20T04:21:07Z")
Besides, the number is down considerably when we consider the former Commonwealth realms that are now republics. (Unless I’m mistaken, there are more countries on earth of which Elizabeth II _used_ to be Queen than there are countries of which she is currently Queen.) So adding a new crown might be a welcome change from what would otherwise look like a dispiriting pattern of inexorable decline. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-scotland-becomes-independent-what-will-the-uk-be-called/681284.md?page=4)