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10 Fun Facts about the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands within the British Isles.

 At one time in history, Britain encompassed almost a quarter of the world’s landmass and a third of the world’s population. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies.

The UK is famous for its monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 1952. Britain is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy.

1. The first postage stamp was created in the United Kingdom

Penny Black – Wikipedia

The Penny Black was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system.  This system was suggested by Sir Rowland Hill in 1837 when British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify the matter, Sir Rowland proposed that the Penny Black allowed letters of up to 1鈦�2 ounce (14 grams) to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance.

The stamp included a portrait of Queen Victoria as sketched by Henry Corbould, an English artist. It was first issued in the United Kingdom on 1 May 1840, but was not valid for use until 6 May. In February 1841, the Treasury switched to the Penny Red because a red cancellation was hard to see on the black original design.

Today, the UK remains the only country in the world to omit its name on postage stamps. The monarch’s image signifies the UK as the country of origin.

2. The monument of Stonehenge is one of the oldest monuments in the world

Stonehenge – Wikipedia

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connecting horizontal lintel stones. Inside is a ring of smaller bluestones. Inside these are freestanding trilithons, two bulkier vertical Sarsens joined by one lintel.

Archaeologists believe that Stonehenge was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, making it one of the oldest monuments in the world. Stonehenge has been a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1882. The site and its surroundings were added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1986.

3. Queen doesn’t have a passport

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Perth – Flickr

The British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty; the first page of British passports contains a representation of the Royal Arms, together with the following wording: ‘Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary.’

Thus, it is not necessary for her to have a passport because her physical presence is enough to convey the above message. However, other royal members must carry a passport, even if they鈥檙e traveling with her.

4. Pronounce it if you can, Llanfair颅pwllgwyngyll颅gogery颅chwyrn颅drobwll颅llan颅tysilio颅gogo颅goch

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll – Flickr

Llanfair颅pwllgwyngyll颅gogery颅chwyrn颅drobwll颅llan颅tysilio颅gogo颅goch (“St Mary’s church of the pool of the white hazels over against the pool of St Tysilio Gogo) also known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll is a large villageon the island of Anglesey, Wales, on the Menai Strait. The city was originally known as Pwllgwyngyll, meaning “the pool of the white hazels”. The longer versions of the name are thought to have first been used in the 19th century in an attempt to develop the village as a commercial and tourist centre. According to Sir John Morris-Jones, the name was created by a local tailor.

The long form of the name, with 58 characters split into 18 syllables, is the longest place name in Europe and the second longest one-word place name in the world.

5. All horses in the United Kingdom must possess a passport

Horse running on the beach – Flickr

The horse passport or equine passport is a document that describes the animal, for example by breed, color, species, lists all vaccinations and names the registered owner. The law was passed in 2003 and failure to comply will result in the owner being fined up to 拢5,000.

The purpose of horse passports is to protect the human food chain and to ensure that no horses that are treated with certain drugs, for example Bute, are slaughtered for human consumption. The purpose of horse passports is to protect the human food chain and to ensure that no horses that are treated with certain drugs, for example Bute, are slaughtered for human consumption.

6. French was the official language in the United Kingdom for almost 300 years

King William I (‘The_Conqueror’) – Wikipedia

French was the official language of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 by William the Conqueror of France until 1362, when it was replaced by English. French was mainly used by nobility, and English was generally spoken by the lower classes. Latin was the main language for official documentation.

French was greatly disliked in the UK because it was associated with the Hundred-Year War against France, which began in 1337. In 1362, The Statute of Pleading had named English the official language of the courts.

7. It is illegal to kill a swan in the United Kingdom

Swan Family – Flickr

The Crown has held the right to claim ownership of all unmarked mute swans swimming in open waters across the country since the 12th Century. It is illegal to kill, eat or keep Swans in the UK. Until 1998 it was still an act of treason to kill a Swan. This legislation was created because swans were eaten as a prized food at banquets and feasts. Valuable rights of ownership were granted by the monarch to a select few.

The most recent sentencing being in 2017 when Gareth Mattson, a 33-year-old man, was sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and paid 拢525 in costs for admitting to killing a family of swans in Withybush Woods in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

8. Suicide was a crime in the 19^th century in the United Kingdom

A noose – Flickr

Prior to 1961, it was a crime to commit suicide, and anyone who attempted and failed could be prosecuted and imprisoned, while the families of those who succeeded could also potentially be prosecuted. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas had formulated the view that whoever deliberately took away the life given to them by their Creator showed the utmost disregard for the will and authority of God and jeopardized their salvation, encouraging the Church to treat suicide as a sin.

In the early 1960s, the Church of England decided that counselling, psychotherapy and suicide prevention intervention before the event took place would be a better solution than criminalization of the act. As a result, aided in the passing of the Suicide Act, 1961which decriminalized the act of suicide in England and Wales.

9. During World War II, British soldiers were lied to that eating carrots will improve their vision in the dark

Carrots – Flickr

Many of us still believe that eating carrots improves your eyesight, this propaganda dates back to World War II when the British government told Britons that eating carrots could sharpen their eyesight and help win the war.

The British government conceived this lie in the hopes of hiding a secretive English radar technology from the Nazis. To stymie Germany鈥檚 nighttime bombing raids, the Royal Air Force pioneered the Airborne Interception (AI) radar. The AI radar could be mounted to planes and detect German bombers from the air.

10. The chancellor is allowed to drink alcohol in the House of Commons

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2020 – Flickr

There are many unusual traditions in the House of Parliament, none more so than the one where the Chancellor is permitted to drink alcohol during the duration of their Budget speech to Parliament. This is despite the fact that serving MPs are normally banned from smoking or drinking alcohol while inside the House of Commons.

Although there is no specific reason for the rule, there is a belief that the length of the speech alongside the Chancellor鈥檚 seniority in Parliament gives them immunity from the alcohol ban during the length of the address.