# Reunify the British Empire **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 11, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099 "2013-12-11T19:45:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/81 "2013-12-15T20:51:49Z")
Well, it was WW1 and it was an active actual danger. Not perhaps as in removing the monarchy but that it may sap morale. Hence a lot of people in power and business made the change. I hardly see why it’s a relevant thing to mention today, though. It’s not just you, I have encountered many UK republicans who seem to have this be the very first thing out of their mouths when the topic of the monarchy comes up. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/82 "2013-12-16T00:43:10Z")
Obligatory Blackadder moment: [Blackadder is interrogating Captain Darling who is suspected of being a German spy] Captain Darling: I’m as British as Queen Victoria! Captain Blackadder: So your father’s German, you’re half German, and you married a German! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/83 "2013-12-16T01:06:48Z")
> [@davf](#): > > Why not just unify the whole world and call it Earth. Then there would be no more wars. What fun is **that?!** ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/84 "2013-12-16T02:00:29Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > Apparently Canada counts as “Anglosphere” too, which would anger plenty of red/white blooded french-Canadians. They’re angry anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/85 "2013-12-16T02:21:27Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > What **Northern Piper** said. > > I can’t think of any reason at all why this would be a good idea. The British Empire transitioned into the British Commonwealth for a reason; it suited the interests and desires of all concerned, and the fundamentals which drive this have not changed. Why would the British want to form part of a much larger country in which they would be only a minority of the population? Why would the Australians, say, wish to be a far-flung province of a country whose centre of population and centre of economic interests was, quite literally, on the other side of the world? What’s in this for anybody? Because [Rule of Cool.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool) A republic has its many advantages, but will never be as cool as a monarchy, nor as an empire. And a globe-spanning empire is the coolest thing ever! ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/86 "2013-12-16T05:27:37Z")
Nitpick and FWIW, it’s no longer the British Commonwealth but the Commonwealth of Nations, or simply the Commonwealth. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth\_of\_nations](http://internal/iCabMobile_CallBack?openURLinTarget&target=_blank&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCommonwealth_of_nations&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fboards.straightdope.com%2Fsdmb%2Fnewreply.php%3Fdo%3Dpostreply%26t%3D710196) ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/87 "2013-12-16T05:35:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because [Rule of Cool.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfCool) A republic has its many advantages, but will never be as cool as a monarchy, nor as an empire. And a globe-spanning empire is the coolest thing ever! Empires are only cool to people who don’t live in them. All the evidence suggests that, by and large, the people who do live in them can’t get out fast enough! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/88 "2013-12-16T08:23:04Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > I’ve just noticed I used ‘secondly’ twice in my last post. That’s embarrassing. In future, try ‘nextly’ - it’s great! It is a real word, just not in common use nowadays, but we can bring it back! ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2013, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099/89 "2013-12-16T11:57:00Z")
I shall remember that, Mangetout 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reunify-the-british-empire/676099.md?page=4)