150-419: Ackrill is an English family name . Notable people with the name include: J. L. Ackrill (1921–2007), English philosopher and classicist Robert Ackrill (1816–1894), English journalist, newspaper proprietor, printer and writer [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname Ackrill . If an internal link intending to refer to
300-687: A Roman garrison at Aballava , now Burgh-by-Sands , in Cumbria: a 4th-century inscription says that the Roman military unit "Numerus Maurorum Aurelianorum" ("unit of Aurelian Moors") from Mauretania (Morocco) was stationed there. Although the Roman Empire incorporated peoples from far and wide, genetic studies suggest the Romans did not significantly mix into the British population. The exact nature of
450-483: A brilliant social satire, critiquing class structures and the courtship rituals of Regency England , and remains one of the most beloved novels in British Literature . Lord Byron ’s Don Juan (1819–1824) is a satirical epic poem that details the adventures of the legendary lover, displaying Byron's wit, irony, and irreverence toward societal norms. Sir Walter Scott ’s Waverley (1814), widely considered
600-503: A famous guest (called a " castaway ") chooses eight pieces of music, a book and a luxury item that they would take with them to a desert island. Currently presented by Lauren Laverne , it is the longest running music radio programme in British history. The idea for a Christmas message was conceived by one of the founders of the BBC. Delivered annually by the monarch, it was first broadcast on BBC Radio in 1932. An alternative Christmas message
750-638: A geographic area brings protests, especially from the Scotch . However, although Taylor believed this blurring effect was dying out, in his book The Isles: A History (1999), Norman Davies lists numerous examples in history books of "British" still being used to mean "English" and vice versa. In December 2010, Matthew Parris in The Spectator , analysing the use of "English" over "British", argued that English identity, rather than growing, had existed all along but has recently been unmasked from behind
900-716: A greater extent than their white counterparts; however, groups such as the Campaign for an English Parliament (CEP) suggest the emergence of a broader civic and multi-ethnic English nationhood. Scholars and journalists have noted a rise in English self-consciousness, with increased use of the English flag , particularly at football matches where the Union flag was previously more commonly flown by fans. This perceived rise in English self-consciousness has generally been attributed to
1050-536: A landmark collection, emphasizing the beauty of nature and the primacy of emotion, and marking the official start of the Romantic Movement . Mary Shelley ’s Frankenstein (1818), one of the earliest science fiction novels, delves into themes of creation, responsibility, and the consequences of unchecked scientific ambition, framed within Gothic conventions. Jane Austen ’s Pride and Prejudice (1813) offered
1200-628: A large number of national and local radio stations which cover a great variety of programming. The most listened to stations are the five main national BBC radio stations. BBC Radio 1 , a new music station aimed at the 16–24 age group. BBC Radio 2 , a varied popular music and chat station aimed at adults is consistently highest in the ratings. BBC Radio 4 , a varied talk station, is noted for its news, current affairs , drama and comedy output as well as The Archers , its long running soap opera, and other unique programmes, including Desert Island Discs (1942–present), an interview programme in which
1350-455: A large statistical spread in all cases. However, the authors noted that the similarity observed between the various sample groups was likely to be due to more recent internal migration. Another 2016 study conducted using evidence from burials found in northern England, found that a significant genetic difference was present in bodies from the Iron Age and the Roman period on the one hand, and
1500-474: A leading figure in early British journalism. The Romantic Period was marked by a revival of poetry and a focus on emotion, nature, and individualism, responding to the growing rationalism of the Enlightenment. This era gave rise to many literary works that explored the tension between reason and imagination. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge ’s Lyrical Ballads (1798) is considered
1650-608: A lyrical drama, explores themes of rebellion, tyranny, and human freedom, standing as one of his most radical and imaginative works. Robert Burns , the famed Scottish poet, revived interest in Scots literature with works such as Auld Lang Syne , which celebrated the vernacular tradition. Lastly, Mary Wollstonecraft ’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) stands as one of the earliest and most influential works of feminist philosophy, advocating for women's education and equal rights in
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#17327839685211800-462: A majority of respondents thought that being English was not dependent on race. 77% of white respondents in England agreed that "Being English is open to people of different ethnic backgrounds who identify as English", whereas 14% were of the view that "Only people who are white count as truly English". Amongst ethnic minority respondents, the equivalent figures were 68% and 19%. Research has found that
1950-584: A male-dominated society. Although primarily associated with the Victorian Era , Lewis Carroll ’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) emerged from the later part of this broader Romantic tradition, blending imaginative fantasy with playful wordplay. This whimsical novel follows young Alice's journey through a dreamlike world populated by peculiar characters, exploring themes of logic, absurdity, and identity. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland remains
2100-671: A more diverse cultural landscape through higher levels of immigration. Furthermore, following the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and EU enlargement in 2004 and 2007, the UK experienced a significant rise in immigration from Eastern Europe . Today, the UK has a sizable immigrant population, and encompasses the cultures of British people from various backgrounds, with South Asian , Continental European , African and Caribbean descent being most prevalent. First spoken in early medieval England ,
2250-615: A native British "North Atlantic" population and a Danish-like population. While much of the latter signature was attributed to the earlier settlement of the Anglo-Saxons, it was calculated that up to 6% of it could have come from Danish Vikings, with a further 4% contribution from a Norwegian-like source representing the Norwegian Vikings. The study also found an average 18% admixture from a source further south in Europe, which
2400-734: A number of popular characters in children's animation, including The Wind in the Willows (based on the children's book by Kenneth Grahame ), Danger Mouse and Count Duckula . Other children's shows include Where's Wally? (a series based on books by author Martin Handford where readers are challenged to find Wally who is hidden in the group), Dennis the Menace and Gnasher , while Thunderbirds and Terrahawks by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson have been praised for creating Supermarionation . Debuting in 1982, The Snowman (featuring
2550-402: A parliament being established. Krishan Kumar notes that support for measures to ensure that only English MPs can vote on legislation that applies only to England is generally higher than that for the establishment of an English parliament, although support for both varies depending on the timing of the opinion poll and the wording of the question. Electoral support for English nationalist parties
2700-613: A pastoral turn under the influence of the British folk revival . Examplars of this period are Ralph Vaughan Williams ' English Folk Song Suite , and Sir Alexander Mackenzie 's Scottish Rhapsodies . Modern and contemporary classical music takes a variety of forms. Composers such as Benjamin Britten developed idiosyncratic and avant-garde styles, while the likes of William Walton produced more conventional ceremonial and patriotic music. The UK now has several major orchestras, including
2850-578: A pioneering work of literary nonsense, captivating readers with its inventive narrative and surreal exploration of the boundaries between reality and imagination. The late Georgian Era and Victorian era saw a renewed focus on the novel. A key theme of these novels was social commentary. Early in the period Jane Austen satirised the lifestyle of the gentry and nobility, while the later novels of Charles Dickens often used humour and keen observations to criticise poverty and social stratification. One of his novels, Oliver Twist describes Victorian Times and
3000-475: A resurgence as black British musicians created new fusions such as Acid Jazz . Indie rock was a reaction to the perceived saturation of the music industry by pop, exemplified by Stock Aitken Waterman 's domination of the charts. This continued in the 1990s, as boy bands , all-female and mixed groups dominated the singles chart, while the Madchester scene helped drive alternative rock and Britpop to
3150-472: A rise in English self-awareness. This is linked to the expressions of national self-awareness of the other British nations of Wales, Scotland and, to some extent, Northern Ireland which take their most solid form in the new devolved political arrangements within the United Kingdom ;– and the waning of a shared British national identity with the growing distance between the end of
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#17327839685213300-639: A separate ethnic identity, others have assimilated and intermarried with the English. Since Oliver Cromwell 's resettlement of the Jews in 1656, there have been waves of Jewish immigration from Russia in the 19th century and from Germany in the 20th. After the French king Louis XIV declared Protestantism illegal in 1685 in the Edict of Fontainebleau , an estimated 50,000 Protestant Huguenots fled to England. Due to sustained and sometimes mass emigration of
3450-668: A separate people from the English. This separation was enshrined when Alfred the Great signed the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum to establish the Danelaw, a division of England between English and Danish rule, with the Danes occupying northern and eastern England. However, Alfred's successors subsequently won military victories against the Danes, incorporating much of the Danelaw into the nascent kingdom of England. Danish invasions continued into
3600-498: A significant film industry for over a century. While many films focus on British culture, British cinema is also marked by its interaction and competition with American and continental European cinema . The UK was the location of the oldest surviving moving picture, Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), which was shot in Roundhay , Leeds by French inventor Louis Le Prince , while the first British film, Incident at Clovelly Cottage
3750-466: A similar impact on musical theatre with their comic operas . The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was opened in Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford upon Avon in 1879 and Herbert Beerbohm Tree founded an Academy of Dramatic Art at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1904. The early twentieth century was dominated by drawing-room plays produced by the likes of Noël Coward , which were then challenged by
3900-616: A specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ackrill&oldid=1180324245 " Categories : Surnames Surnames of English origin Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All set index articles English people Modern ethnicities The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England , who speak
4050-539: A variety of minority interest programming. The BBC and Channel 4 are state-owned, though they operate independently. Launched in 1955, ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Director Ridley Scott 's evocative 1973 Hovis bread television commercial captured the public imagination. Filmed on Gold Hill, Shaftesbury in Dorset, Scott's advert was voted the UK's favourite television advertisement of all time in 2006. Other notable British commercials include
4200-551: A veneer of Britishness. English people, like most Europeans, largely descend from three distinct lineages: Mesolithic hunter-gatherers , descended from a Cro-Magnon population that arrived in Europe about 45,000 years ago; Neolithic farmers who migrated from Anatolia during the Neolithic Revolution 9,000 years ago; and Yamnaya Steppe pastoralists who expanded into Europe from the Pontic–Caspian steppe in
4350-612: A viable British popular music industry. Genres such as beat and British blues were re-exported to America by bands such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones , in a move that came to be called the British Invasion . The 1960s saw the development of heavy metal in Birmingham and the wider area. The development of blues rock helped differentiate rock and pop music, leading to the emergence of several sub-genres of rock in
4500-462: A young woman's quest for independence against the rigid structures of Victorian society . The three Brontë sisters and George Eliot commented on Northern England and the Midlands respectively, though all four women wrote under male pen names during their lifetimes, partly to deflect anti-feminist criticism. Nevertheless, openly female authors achieved considerable success in the period, such as
4650-416: Is also low, even though there is public support for many of the policies they espouse. The English Democrats gained just 64,826 votes in the 2010 UK general election , accounting for 0.3 per cent of all votes cast in England. Kumar argued in 2010 that "despite devolution and occasional bursts of English nationalism – more an expression of exasperation with the Scots or Northern Irish – the English remain on
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4800-557: Is an English folk dance known to have existed at least as early as the mid-15th century. The bagpipes have long been a national symbol of Scotland, and the Great Highland Bagpipe is widely recognised. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads , are ballads of the British Isles from the later medieval period until the 19th century, demonstrating great regional variety, particularly local traditions such as
4950-482: Is an important part of British culture, and numerous sports originated in their organised, modern form in the country including cricket , football , boxing , tennis and rugby . The UK has been described as a "cultural superpower", and London has been described as a world cultural capital. A global opinion poll for the BBC saw the UK ranked the third most positively viewed nation in the world (behind Germany and Canada) in 2013 and 2014. Throughout its history,
5100-477: Is considered to be classic piece of literature, and The Man Who Would Be King are both set in British India , showcasing the cultural and political impact of British rule in the region. His poem If— famously captures the concept of the “stiff upper lip,” a British ideal of stoicism and self-discipline. Additionally, The White Man’s Burden conveys a white supremacist and imperialist perspective, encouraging
5250-641: Is famous for its arts and crafts "makes". The show has been a staple for generations of British children. Popular live action TV shows include The Borrowers (based on Mary Norton books on little people), The Adventures of Black Beauty , The Famous Five (based on Enid Blyton books), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (based on the C. S. Lewis novel), and Pride and Prejudice (starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy ). The actor David Jason has voiced
5400-712: Is hailed as one of the first true novels in English literature. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is an experimental novel. Also linked to the Augustan period is Samuel Johnson 's A Dictionary of the English Language . Published in 1755, it was viewed as the pre-eminent British Dictionary until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later. Each word defined in detail, with descriptions of their various uses and numerous literary quotes as illustrations. This
5550-510: Is known as the Augustan Age and included the development of the novel. Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719) and Moll Flanders (1722) are often seen as the first English novels. Alongside these works, poetry also flourished, with notable examples such as The Rape of the Lock (1712) by Alexander Pope , a mock-heroic poem that satirized the social mores of the time. However,
5700-560: Is noted for its chaotic, nihilistic humour and violent comedy slapstick. Steve Coogan created the character Alan Partridge , a tactless and inept television presenter who often insults his guests and whose inflated sense of celebrity drives him to shameless self-promotion. Da Ali G Show starred Sacha Baron Cohen as a faux-streetwise poseur Ali G from west London, who would conduct real interviews with unsuspecting people, many of whom are celebrities, during which they are asked absurd and ridiculous questions. Animator Nick Park created
5850-491: Is often found in literature, for example Emily Brontë 's novel Wuthering Heights contains Yorkshire dialect. The United Kingdom inherited the literary traditions of England, Scotland and Wales. These include Arthurian literature and its Welsh origins, Norse-influenced Old English literature , the works of English authors Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare , and Scots works such as John Barbour 's The Brus . The early 18th century period of British literature
6000-731: Is the Standard English accent in England and Wales, while in Scotland Scottish Standard English is a distinct dialect. Although these accents have a high social prestige , since the 1960s a greater permissiveness toward regional English varieties has taken hold in education. The great variety of British accents is often noted, with nearby regions often having highly distinct dialects and accents, for example there are large differences between Scouse and Mancunian despite Liverpool and Manchester being only 35 miles (56 km) apart. Dialectal English
6150-634: Is the pub in EastEnders , and the Woolpack in ITV's Emmerdale . The pub being a prominent setting in the three major television soap operas reflects the role pubs have as the focal point of the community in many towns and villages across the UK. Espionage and detective shows have long been a staple of British television, such as the 1960s series The Avengers featuring lady spy adventurer and cultural (and feminist) icon Emma Peel . The United Kingdom has
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6300-617: Is usually termed "elite dominance". The second process is explained through incentives, such as the Wergild outlined in the law code of Ine of Wessex which produced an incentive to become Anglo-Saxon or at least English speaking. Historian Malcolm Todd writes, "It is much more likely that a large proportion of the British population remained in place and was progressively dominated by a Germanic aristocracy, in some cases marrying into it and leaving Celtic names in the, admittedly very dubious, early lists of Anglo-Saxon dynasties. But how we identify
6450-604: The Anglo-Saxons , a group of closely related Germanic tribes that began migrating to eastern and southern Britain, from southern Denmark and northern Germany, in the 5th century AD, after the Romans had withdrawn from Britain . The Anglo-Saxons gave their name to England ("Engla land", meaning "Land of the Angles") and to the English. The Anglo-Saxons arrived in a land that was already populated by people commonly referred to as
6600-718: The BBC Symphony Orchestra , and the Philharmonia , while the establishment of the Opera North in 1977 sought to redress the balance of operatic institutions away from London. There are several classical festivals, such as Aldeburgh and Glydebourne , while the BBC Proms are an important annual fixture in the classical calendar. Popular commercial music in Britain can be traced back at least as far as
6750-574: The Birmingham Triennial Music Festival , which was the longest running classical music festival of its kind until the final concerts in 1912. Beyond this, the establishment of the London Philharmonic Society in 1813, Royal Academy of Music in 1822, and Irish Academy of Music in 1848 aided the professionalisation of British classical music and patronage of composers. The Philharmonic Society
6900-860: The Border ballads , which include the particularly influential Ballad of Chevy Chase . British folk groups, such as Fairport Convention , have drawn heavily from these ballads. Similarly, while the national anthem " God Save the King " and other patriotic songs such as " Rule, Britannia! " represent the United Kingdom, each of the four individual countries of the UK has its own patriotic hymns. For example, Jerusalem , Flower of Scotland , Land of My Fathers , and Danny Boy pertain exclusively to England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland respectively. These songs are often used at sporting events where each nation competes individually. Britain has had
7050-555: The British Empire and the present. Many recent immigrants to England have assumed a solely British identity, while others have developed dual or mixed identities. Use of the word "English" to describe Britons from ethnic minorities in England is complicated by most non-white people in England identifying as British rather than English. In their 2004 Annual Population Survey , the Office for National Statistics compared
7200-649: The British Film Institute consider the best and second-best British films respectively. Laurence Olivier 's 1948 Hamlet was the first British film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture . The 1950s saw a focus on popular domestic topics such as comedies, including the enduring Carry On series, and World War II epics such as The Dam Busters . At the end of the decade Hammer Films took advantage of relaxed censorship laws to begin their series of successful horror films. The beginning of
7350-586: The English language is the de facto official language of the UK, and is spoken monolingually by an estimated 95% of the British population . Seven other languages are recognised by the British Government under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages – Welsh , Scottish Gaelic , Scots , Cornish , Irish , Ulster Scots , and British Sign Language . In Wales, all pupils at state schools must either be taught through
7500-598: The English language , a West Germanic language, and share a common ancestry, history, and culture. The English identity began with the Anglo-Saxons , when they were known as the Angelcynn , meaning race or tribe of the Angles . Their ethnonym is derived from the Angles, one of the Germanic peoples who invaded Britain around the 5th century AD. The English largely descend from two main historical population groups:
7650-598: The Irish , current estimates indicate that around 6 million people in the UK have at least one grandparent born in the Republic of Ireland. There has been a small black presence in England since the 16th century due to the slave trade , and a small Indian presence since at least the 17th century because of the East India Company and British Raj . Black and Asian populations have only grown throughout
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#17327839685217800-606: The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in 1840, Manchester-based Hallé in 1858, the Scottish Orchestra in 1891 and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1920. The most notable trend in classical music at the turn of the century was the nationalistic trend that developed. This was initially seen in works like The Masque at Kenilworth , which reconstructed an Elizabethan masque, but later took
7950-599: The Scottish Parliament in 2005, recognised Gaelic as an official language of Scotland and required the creation of a national plan for Gaelic to provide strategic direction for the development of the Gaelic language. The Cornish language is a revived language that became extinct as a first language in Cornwall in the late 18th century. Dialects and regional accents vary heavily amongst the four countries of
8100-403: The Treaty of Union . The Parliament of Scotland had previously passed its own Act of Union, so the Kingdom of Great Britain was born on 1 May 1707. In 1801, another Act of Union formed a union between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland , creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . In 1922, about two-thirds of the Irish population (those who lived in 26 of
8250-404: The Wallace and Gromit characters at Aardman Animations studio in Bristol. They feature in A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995), which all have 100% positive ratings on the aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, while A Matter of Loaf and Death was the most watched television programme in the UK in 2008. Aardman also produce the kid's show Shaun
8400-519: The West End , London's major theatre district. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the City of Westminster dates back to 1663, making it the oldest London theatre, however the Theatre Royal at the Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continually-operating theatre in the English speaking world, opening in 1768. The musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber have dominated the West End since the late 20th century, leading him to be dubbed "the most commercially successful composer in history". A National Theatre of Scotland
8550-416: The devolution in the late 1990s of some powers to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales . In policy areas for which the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have responsibility, the UK Parliament votes on laws that consequently only apply to England. Because the Westminster Parliament is composed of MPs from throughout the United Kingdom, this has given rise to
8700-420: The kitchen sink realism and absurdist drama influenced by Irishman Samuel Beckett in the 1950s and 60s. Conversely 1952 saw the first performance of Agatha Christie 's The Mousetrap , a drawing-room murder mystery that has seen over 25,000 performances and is the longest-running West End show . At the same time the performing arts theatre Sadler's Wells , under Lilian Baylis , nurtured talent that led to
8850-475: The trenches . Initially idealistic and patriotic in tone, as the war progressed the tone of the movement became increasingly sombre and pacifistic. The beginning of the twentieth century also saw the Celtic Revival stimulate a new appreciation of traditional Irish literature , while the Scottish Renaissance brought modernism to Scottish literature as well as an interest in new forms in the literatures of Scottish Gaelic and Scots. The English novel developed in
9000-410: The " Romano-British "—the descendants of the native Brittonic-speaking population that lived in the area of Britain under Roman rule during the 1st–5th centuries AD. The multi-ethnic nature of the Roman Empire meant that small numbers of other peoples may have also been present in England before the Anglo-Saxons arrived. There is archaeological evidence, for example, of an early North African presence in
9150-416: The " West Lothian question ", a reference to the situation in which MPs representing constituencies outside England can vote on matters affecting only England, but MPs cannot vote on the same matters in relation to the other parts of the UK. Consequently, groups such as the CEP have called for the creation of a devolved English Parliament , claiming that there is now a discriminatory democratic deficit against
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#17327839685219300-552: The 11th century, and there were both English and Danish kings in the period following the unification of England (for example, Æthelred II (978–1013 and 1014–1016) was English but Cnut (1016–1035) was Danish). Gradually, the Danes in England came to be seen as 'English'. They had a noticeable impact on the English language: many English words, such as anger , ball , egg , got , knife , take , and they , are of Old Norse origin , and place names that end in -thwaite and -by are Scandinavian in origin. The English population
9450-421: The 1960s saw the British New Wave style develop, influenced by its French counterpart, that sought to depict a wider strata of society in a realistic manner. The 1960s also saw renewed American financial interest in British film, which particularly manifested itself in the development of historical epics , such as Best Picture winners Lawrence of Arabia and A Man for All Seasons ; spy thrillers , including
9600-473: The 1970s. Glam rock was a particularly British genre that emphasised outrageous costumes, while the end of the decade saw the rise of punk , new wave , and post-punk bands. The influence of immigration could also be seen in the increased prominence of World music , particularly Jamaican music . The 1980s were a successful decade in British pop, as a second British Invasion was witnessed and new technology enabled genres such as synthpop to form. Jazz saw
9750-420: The 1989 British Airways face advertisement , the 2005 noitulovE advert for Guinness , the 2007 Gorilla advertisement by Cadbury chocolate featuring a gorilla playing drums with Phil Collins' track " In the Air Tonight " playing in the background, and a 2013 advert for Galaxy chocolate bar featuring a computer-generated image of Audrey Hepburn . Christmas commercials are screened from early November in
9900-513: The 1990s, and the success of Four Weddings and a Funeral saw romantic comedies rise in popularity. Merchant Ivory Productions , boosted by the Oscars success of the previous decade's period pieces, continued to produce films in the same vein. American studios also began to base the production of Hollywood films in the UK, encouraged by tax incentives. 1996's Trainspotting led to increased interest in regional, particularly Scottish, cinema. While American-funded films continued their influence in
10050-462: The 2010s, domestic European co-productions also received acclaim. The Queen was British-French production for which Helen Mirren won Best Actress, while the UK Film Council funded The King's Speech , which won Best Picture in 2011. Asian British cinema has risen in prominence since 1999, when East is East was a mainstream success on a low budget. The UK has been at the forefront of developments in film, radio and television. Broadcasting in
10200-497: The 20th century into much greater variety and it remains today the dominant English literary form. The contemporary British literary scene is marked by awards such as the Booker Prize , created in 1969, and festivals including the Welsh Hay Festival , held since 1988. The prominent status of children's literature in the UK was demonstrated in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games , which contained sequence dedicated to prominent children's literary characters. In 2003
10350-482: The 32 counties of Ireland), left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State . The remainder became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, although this name was not introduced until 1927, after some years in which the term "United Kingdom" had been little used. Throughout the history of the UK, the English have been dominant in population and in political weight. As a consequence, notions of 'Englishness' and 'Britishness' are often very similar. At
10500-410: The Anglo-Saxon period on the other. Samples from modern-day Wales were found to be similar to those from the Iron Age and Roman burials, while samples from much of modern England, East Anglia in particular, were closer to the Anglo-Saxon-era burial. This was found to demonstrate a "profound impact" from the Anglo-Saxon migrations on the modern English gene pool, though no specific percentages were given in
10650-420: The BBC carried out a British survey entitled The Big Read in order to find the "nation's best-loved novel", with works by English novelists J. R. R. Tolkien , Jane Austen , Philip Pullman , Douglas Adams and J. K. Rowling making up the top five on the list. More than 75% of the British public read at least one book annually. The UK is also among the largest publishers of books. As of 2017 , six firms in
10800-613: The British Empire. As a result of the British Empire, significant British influence can be observed in the language, law, culture and institutions of its former colonies, most of which are members of the Commonwealth of Nations . A subset of these states form the Anglosphere , and are among Britain's closest allies. British colonies and dominions influenced British culture in turn, particularly British cuisine . Sport
10950-471: The English language became more important even in the court, and the Normans were gradually assimilated, until, by the 14th century, both rulers and subjects regarded themselves as English and spoke the English language. Despite the assimilation of the Normans, the distinction between 'English' and 'French' people survived in some official documents long after it had fallen out of common use, in particular in
11100-578: The English. The establishment of an English parliament has also been backed by a number of Scottish and Welsh nationalists. Writer Paul Johnson has suggested that like most dominant groups, the English have only demonstrated interest in their ethnic self-definition when they were feeling oppressed. John Curtice argues that "In the early years of devolution...there was little sign" of an English backlash against devolution for Scotland and Wales, but that more recently survey data shows tentative signs of "a form of English nationalism...beginning to emerge among
11250-833: The Iberian Bell Beakers, but appeared to be an offshoot of the Corded Ware single grave people, as developed in Western Europe. It is currently unknown whether these Beaker peoples went on to develop Celtic languages in the British Isles , or whether later Celtic migrations introduced Celtic languages to Britain. The close genetic affinity of these Beaker people to Continental North Europeans means that British and Irish populations cluster genetically very closely with other Northwest European populations, regardless of how much Anglo-Saxon and Viking ancestry
11400-510: The Sheep . One of the most popular children's shows originating in the UK is Thomas & Friends (based on The Railway Series books by Wilbert Awdry ), which has become the number one licensed preschool property in the world. Other popular children's shows include Postman Pat , Fireman Sam , Teletubbies , Bob the Builder and Peppa Pig First airing in 1958, Blue Peter
11550-555: The UK generally, as immigration from the British Empire and the subsequent Commonwealth of Nations was encouraged due to labour shortages during post World War II rebuilding. However, these groups are often still considered to be ethnic minorities and research has shown that black and Asian people in the UK are more likely to identify as British rather than with one of the state's four constituent nations, including England. A nationally representative survey published in June 2021 found that
11700-565: The UK has historically been dominated by the taxpayer-funded but independently run British Broadcasting Corporation (commonly known as the BBC ), although other independent radio and television ( ITV , Channel 4 , Five ) and satellite broadcasters (especially BSkyB which has over 10 million subscribers) have become more important in recent years. BBC television, and the other three main television channels are public service broadcasters who, as part of their licence allowing them to operate, broadcast
11850-462: The UK, it is also "problematic for the English [...] when it comes to conceiving of their national identity. It tells of the difficulty that most English people have of distinguishing themselves, in a collective way, from the other inhabitants of the British Isles". In 1965, the historian A. J. P. Taylor wrote, When the Oxford History of England was launched a generation ago, "England"
12000-646: The UK, with campaigns including the John Lewis Christmas advert for the department store chain. International football tournaments, such as the World Cup , are historically the most viewed sports events among the public, while Match of the Day is the most popular weekly football show. The 1966 FIFA World Cup Final and the Funeral of Princess Diana are the two most watched television events ever in
12150-412: The UK. Satire has been a prominent feature in British comedy for centuries. The British satire boom of the 1960s, which consisted of writers and performers such as Peter Cook , Dudley Moore , Alan Bennett , David Frost and Jonathan Miller , has heavily influenced British television, including the sketch comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus created in 1969 by Monty Python . Regarded as
12300-415: The UK. In his study of English identity, Krishan Kumar describes a common slip of the tongue in which people say "English, I mean British". He notes that this slip is normally made only by the English themselves and by foreigners: "Non-English members of the United Kingdom rarely say 'British' when they mean 'English ' ". Kumar suggests that although this blurring is a sign of England's dominant position with
12450-409: The United Kingdom , as well as within the countries themselves. This is partially the result of the long history of immigration to the UK, for example Northern English dialects contain many words with Old Norse roots. Scottish English , Welsh English , and Hiberno-Irish are varieties of English distinct from both English English and the native languages of those countries. Received Pronunciation
12600-597: The United Kingdom . The majority of people living in England are British citizens. In the Acts of Union 1707 , the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland merged to become the Kingdom of Great Britain . Over the years, English customs and identity have become fairly closely aligned with British customs and identity in general. The demonyms for men and women from England are Englishman and Englishwoman. England itself has no devolved government. The 1990s witnessed
12750-840: The United Kingdom rank among the world's biggest publishers of books in terms of revenue: Bloomsbury , Cambridge University Press , Informa , Oxford University Press , Pearson , and RELX Group . From its formation in 1707 the United Kingdom has had a vibrant tradition of theatre, much of it inherited from England, Scotland and Wales. The Union of the Crowns coincided with the decline of highbrow and provocative Restoration comedy in favour of sentimental comedy, domestic tragedy such as George Lillo's The London Merchant (1731), and by an overwhelming interest in Italian opera. Popular entertainment became more important in this period than ever before, with fair-booth burlesque and mixed forms that are
12900-589: The United Kingdom. Wales was annexed by England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542 , which incorporated Wales into the English state. A new British identity was subsequently developed when James VI of Scotland became James I of England as well, and expressed the desire to be known as the monarch of Britain. In 1707, England formed a union with Scotland by passing an Act of Union in March 1707 that ratified
13050-597: The United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. In the 2020 United States census , English Americans were the largest group in the United States with 46.5 million Americans self-identifying as having some English origins (many combined with another heritage) representing (19.8%) of the White American population. This includes 25.5 million (12.5%) who were "English alone" - one origin. However, demographers regard this as an undercount, as
13200-571: The West Germanic tribes, including the Angles, Saxons , and Jutes who settled in Southern Britain following the withdrawal of the Romans , and the partially Romanised Celtic Britons who already lived there. Collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons , they founded what was to become the Kingdom of England by the 10th century, in response to the invasion and extensive settlement of Danes and other Norsemen that began in
13350-615: The ancestors of the English music hall . These forms flourished at the expense of other forms of English drama, which went into a long period of decline. In Scotland the opposite occurred, with the emergence of specifically Scottish plays including John Home's Douglas and the works of Walter Scott , which included original plays as well as adaptations of his Waverley novels. The late 19th century saw revival of English theatre with arrival of Irishmen George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde , who influenced domestic English drama and revitalised it. Their contemporaries Gilbert and Sullivan had
13500-481: The arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and their relationship with the Romano-British is a matter of debate. The traditional view is that a mass invasion by various Anglo-Saxon tribes largely displaced the indigenous British population in southern and eastern Britain (modern-day England with the exception of Cornwall ). This is supported by the writings of Gildas , who gives the only contemporary historical account of
13650-574: The cases of eastern regions such as East Anglia and Lincolnshire, while in parts of Northumbria, much of the native population likely remained in place as the incomers took over as elites. In a study of place names in northeastern England and southern Scotland, Bethany Fox found that the migrants settled in large numbers in river valleys, such as those of the Tyne and the Tweed, with the Britons moving to
13800-419: The colonial domination of non-European peoples under the guise of a civilizing mission. Kipling's works, while celebrated for their literary qualities, remain controversial for their imperialist themes. World War I gave rise to British war poets and writers such as Wilfred Owen , Siegfried Sassoon , and Rupert Brooke , who wrote (often paradoxically ) of their expectations of war, and their experiences in
13950-472: The complex nature of national identities, with many people considering themselves both English and British. A 2017 survey by YouGov found that 38% of English voters considered themselves both English and British, alongside 19% who felt English but not British. Recent surveys of public opinion on the establishment of an English parliament have given widely varying conclusions. In the first five years of devolution for Scotland and Wales, support in England for
14100-605: The context of Indo-European migrations 5,000 years ago. Recent genetic studies have suggested that Britain's Neolithic population was largely replaced by a population from North Continental Europe characterised by the Bell Beaker culture around 2400 BC, associated with the Yamnaya people from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe . This population lacked genetic affinity to some other Bell Beaker populations, such as
14250-667: The culture of Great Britain has primarily consisted of the separate native traditions of England, Scotland and Wales. With regard to cultural influences, prior to the expansion of the British Empire , the island had been most notably influenced by French culture (via the Normans ), Scandinavian culture (via the Vikings ) and Italian culture (via the Romans ). The arrival of Celtic and Germanic tribes influenced Britain's early development. The Celtic peoples introduced unique languages, traditions, and social structures. Subsequently,
14400-619: The death of King Stephen in 1154, when the succession passed to Henry II , House of Plantagenet (based in France), and England became part of the Angevin Empire until its collapse in 1214. Anglo-Norman and Latin continued to be the two languages used officially by the Plantagenet kings until Edward I came to the throne, when Middle English became used in official documents, but alongside Anglo-Norman and Latin. Over time
14550-694: The development of an opera company, which became the English National Opera (ENO); a theatre company, which evolved into the National Theatre; and a ballet company, which eventually became the English Royal Ballet . Elsewhere the Royal Shakespeare Company was founded in 1959 at Stratford-upon-Avon , and continues to mainly stage Shakespeare's plays. Contemporary British theatre is focused on
14700-510: The development of the novel took place in a wider literary context that included the rise of prose satires – which reached a high point with Gulliver's Travels (1729) by Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift , and earlier foreign works like the Spanish Don Quixote . Other novels by Jonathan Swift include A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), and A Modest Proposal (1729). With
14850-467: The d’Urbervilles (1891) offers a tragic critique of Victorian society's treatment of women, sexuality, and class, while Oscar Wilde ’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) examines themes of aestheticism, morality, and vanity in a Gothic narrative where the protagonist's portrait ages as his soul corrupts. In Robert Louis Stevenson ’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886), the novella delves into themes of duality, identity, and morality through
15000-613: The establishment of an English parliament was low at between 16 and 19%, according to successive British Social Attitudes Surveys . A report, also based on the British Social Attitudes Survey, published in December 2010 suggests that only 29% of people in England support the establishment of an English parliament, though this figure had risen from 17% in 2007. One 2007 poll carried out for BBC Newsnight , however, found that 61 per cent would support such
15150-416: The ethnic identities of British people with their perceived national identity . They found that while 58% of white people in England described their nationality as "English", non-white people were more likely to describe themselves as "British". It is unclear how many British people consider themselves English. The words "English" and "British" are often incorrectly used interchangeably, especially outside
15300-617: The festive song " Walking in the Air ") is annually screened at Christmas. Shown on the BBC, the UK holds two high-profile charity telethon events, Children in Need , held annually in November, and Comic Relief , which alternates with Sports Relief , every March. The 2011 edition of Comic Relief saw the first appearance of James Corden 's Carpool Karaoke sketch when he drove around London singing songs with George Michael . British programmes dominate
15450-558: The first Black British and British Asian films respectively. 1981's Chariots of Fire and 1982's Gandhi both won the Best Picture Oscar, the latter winning eight awards, prompting a resurgence in period films. 1982 also saw the creation of Channel 4 , which had a remit to promote films for minority audiences. Films with racial and LGBT themes were produced, while Channel 4's involvement saw television stars move into feature films. American investment again increased in
15600-494: The first films in the James Bond franchise; and films based on ' swinging London ' scene. The 1970s saw a withdrawal of American support and a retrenchment in British cinema, though the decade did see culturally important productions such as the horror The Wicker Man and Monty Python 's comedic films. The decade also saw the Commonwealth influence British film, as Pressure and A Private Enterprise are considered
15750-523: The first historical novel, vividly recreates the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, cementing Scott's place as a major figure in British literature. William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1794) blends art and poetry to explore themes of innocence, experience, and societal corruption, providing a unique vision of the Romantic spirit. Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound (1820),
15900-449: The general public". Michael Kenny, Richard English and Richard Hayton, meanwhile, argue that the resurgence in English nationalism predates devolution, being observable in the early 1990s, but that this resurgence does not necessarily have negative implications for the perception of the UK as a political union. Others question whether devolution has led to a rise in English national identity at all, arguing that survey data fails to portray
16050-494: The impact of the British Empire . The culture of the United Kingdom may also colloquially be referred to as British culture. Although British culture is a distinct entity, the individual cultures of England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland are diverse. There have been varying degrees of overlap and distinctiveness between these four cultures. British literature is particularly esteemed. The modern novel
16200-515: The index of inconsistency is high, and many, if not most, people from English stock have a tendency (since the introduction of a new 'American' category and ignoring the ancestry question in the 2000 census) to identify as simply Americans or if of mixed European ancestry, identify with a more recent and differentiated ethnic group. Prior to this, in the 2000 census , 24,509,692 Americans described their ancestry as wholly or partly English. In addition, 1,035,133 recorded British ancestry. This
16350-479: The late 9th century. This was followed by the Norman Conquest and limited settlement of Normans in England in the late 11th century and a sizeable number of French Protestants who emigrated between the 16th and 18th centuries. Some definitions of English people include, while others exclude, people descended from later migration into England. England is the largest and most populous country of
16500-791: The leading figure of the satire boom, Peter Cook was ranked number one in the Comedians' Comedian poll. The puppet show Spitting Image was a satire of the royal family , politics, entertainment, sport and British culture of the 1980s up to the mid-1990s. Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week are the two longest running satirical panel shows. Satire also features heavily in the Grand Theft Auto video game series which has been ranked among Britain's most successful exports. The slapstick and double entendre of Benny Hill also achieved very high ratings on British television, as did
16650-400: The legal process Presentment of Englishry (a rule by which a hundred had to prove an unidentified murdered body found on their soil to be that of an Englishman, rather than a Norman, if they wanted to avoid a fine). This law was abolished in 1340. Since the 18th century, England has been one part of a wider political entity covering all or part of the British Isles, which today is called
16800-482: The less fertile hill country and becoming acculturated over a longer period. Fox describes the process by which English came to dominate this region as "a synthesis of mass-migration and elite-takeover models." From about 800 AD, waves of Danish Viking assaults on the coastlines of the British Isles were gradually followed by a succession of Danish settlers in England. At first, the Vikings were very much considered
16950-596: The list of TV's most watched shows in the UK, with the kitchen sink dramas , ITV's Coronation Street and BBC's EastEnders , both often ranking high on the ratings list compiled by BARB . The major soap operas each feature a pub , and these pubs have become household names throughout the UK. The Rovers Return is the pub in Coronation Street , the Queen Vic (short for the Queen Victoria )
17100-574: The mainstream. British soul saw a rise that continued into the 2000s, including the global success of Adele . Dance music also saw innovation, with genres such as dubstep and new rave emerging. In contrast to the comparatively homogeneous classical and pop genres, each nation of the UK has retained a distinct tradition of folk music. The traditional folk music of England has contributed to several genres, such as sea shanties , jigs , hornpipes and dance music . It has its own distinct variations and regional peculiarities, while musical Morris dancing
17250-697: The medium of Welsh or study it as an additional language until age 16, and the Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages should be treated equally in the public sector, so far as is reasonable and practicable. Irish and Ulster Scots enjoy limited use alongside English in Northern Ireland, mainly in publicly commissioned translations. The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act , passed by
17400-419: The migrations of Germanic tribes, such as the Anglo-Saxons , further influenced Britain's cultural landscape. The ancient Roman occupation of Britain , lasting almost 400 years, also impacted the linguistic and cultural identity of Great Britain. Following the expansion of the British Empire, England, Scotland and Wales absorbed different peoples from around the world, and, post-World War II, Britain developed
17550-622: The new French-speaking Norman elite almost universally replaced the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy and church leaders. After the conquest, "English" normally included all natives of England, whether they were of Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian or Celtic ancestry, to distinguish them from the Norman invaders, who were regarded as "Norman" even if born in England, for a generation or two after the Conquest. The Norman dynasty ruled England for 87 years until
17700-413: The period, and describes the slaughter and starvation of native Britons by invading tribes ( aduentus Saxonum ). Furthermore, the English language contains no more than a handful of words borrowed from Brittonic sources. This view was later re-evaluated by some archaeologists and historians, with a more small-scale migration being posited, possibly based around an elite of male warriors that took over
17850-536: The physical humour of Mr. Bean . Popular comedy duos in television include The Two Ronnies and Morecambe and Wise , with both shows featuring memorable sketches. Jeeves and Wooster starred Hugh Laurie as Bertie Wooster , an airy, nonchalant, gormless, idle young gentleman and Stephen Fry as Jeeves , his calm, well-informed, and talented valet . Created by and starring Rik Mayall as Richie and Adrian Edmondson as Eddie, Bottom features two crude, perverted flatmates with no jobs and little money, which
18000-681: The population of Northern Ireland and 20% of the Welsh population were born in England. Similarly, the census of the Republic of Ireland does not collect information on ethnicity, but it does record that there are over 200,000 people living in Ireland who were born in England and Wales . English ethnic descent and emigrant communities are found primarily in the Western world , and settled in significant numbers in some areas. Substantial populations descended from English colonists and immigrants exist in
18150-505: The predominantly religious poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti . George Eliot ’s Middlemarch (1871–1872), often regarded as one of the greatest English novels, explores themes of politics, marriage, and ambition in the setting of a provincial English town. Elizabeth Gaskell ’s North and South (1854–1855) contrasts the industrial north with the agricultural south, addressing issues such as class conflict, industrialization, and gender roles. Thomas Hardy ’s Tess of
18300-493: The prologue to John Vanbrugh ’s The Mistake. Steele's major breakthrough came in 1709 with the creation of The Tatler , a tri-weekly periodical in which he wrote the majority of the essays under the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff , aiming to expose societal vices and promote simplicity. Despite its success, The Tatler was shut down in 1711 due to political pressure, prompting Steele and Addison to co-found The Spectator in 1711 and The Guardian in 1713, solidifying Steele's role as
18450-459: The proportion of people who consider being white to be a necessary component of Englishness has declined over time. The 1990s witnessed a resurgence of English national identity. Survey data shows a rise in the number of people in England describing their national identity as English and a fall in the number describing themselves as British. Today, black and minority ethnic people of England still generally identify as British rather than English to
18600-534: The publishing of these books, he gained literary fame and formed lifelong friendships with Alexander Pope, John Gay , and John Arbuthnot , who, with Swift, created the Martinus Scriblerus Club in 1713. Other novels made at this time are: Tom Jones (1749), by Henry Fielding ; Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), by Samuel Richardson ; Laurence Sterne – The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759–1767). Pamela or Virtue Rewarded,
18750-544: The rise of Alfred Hitchcock , who soon moved to the US and become one of the twentieth century's most influential directors. During World War II the Crown Film Unit established a reputation for documentaries, while Powell and Pressburger began their influential and innovative collaboration. The post-war period was a particular high point for British filmmaking, producing The Third Man and Brief Encounter , which
18900-578: The role they play in language development. Richard Steele , another famous author known for comedies and pamphlets during the Augustan Period, began his literary career with The Christian Hero (1701), a moral pamphlet that was criticized due to his personal lifestyle, followed by the successful comedy The Funeral later that year. In 1703, he wrote The Lying Lover , an early sentimental comedy that failed on stage. In 1705, he collaborated with Joseph Addison on The Tender Husband and contributed
19050-509: The rule of the country and gradually acculturated the people living there. Within this theory, two processes leading to Anglo-Saxonisation have been proposed. One is similar to culture changes observed in Russia, North Africa and parts of the Islamic world, where a politically and socially powerful minority culture becomes, over a rather short period, adopted by a settled majority. This process
19200-487: The same film. Comedian Marty Feldman co-created the acclaimed BBC Radio comedy programme Round the Horne in 1965. The long running radio comedy Just a Minute first aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1967. Panellists must talk for sixty seconds on a given subject, "without hesitation, repetition or deviation". Guests over the years have included Stephen Fry , Eddie Izzard and Sue Perkins . First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978,
19350-489: The same time, after the Union of 1707, the English, along with the other peoples of the British Isles, have been encouraged to think of themselves as British rather than to identify themselves with the constituent nations. England has been the destination of varied numbers of migrants at different periods from the 17th century onwards. While some members of these groups seek to practise a form of pluralism, attempting to maintain
19500-453: The science fiction comedy radio series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was innovative in its use of music and sound effects. The BBC, as a public service broadcaster , also runs minority stations such as BBC Asian Network , BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Radio 6 Music , and local stations throughout the country. Rock music station Absolute Radio , and sports station Talksport , are among
19650-465: The seventeenth-century broadside ballad , and also encompasses brass band music and music hall . Popular music in the modern sense began to emerge in the 1950s, as the American styles of jazz and rock and roll became popular. The skiffle revival was an early attempt to create a British form of American music, but it was the emergence of British rock and roll by the early 1960s that established
19800-473: The sordid lives of criminals and exposes the cruel treatment of the many orphans in London . Another novel by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (1861), is a bildungsroman that follows the life of Pip , an orphan navigating ambition, love, and personal growth while critiquing social mobility and class divisions. Charlotte Brontë ’s Jane Eyre (1847) blends Gothic romance with social commentary, focusing on
19950-469: The split personality of its protagonist. Arthur Conan Doyle ’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892), a group of short stories, which popularised the detective genre and introduced one of literature's most iconic characters: Sherlock Holmes. Rudyard Kipling 's literature exemplifies the British Empire ’s influence on British literature through his works that often reflect the ethos of imperialism and colonialism . His novels The Jungle Book , which
20100-567: The study. A third study combined the ancient data from both of the preceding studies and compared it to a large number of modern samples from across Britain and Ireland. This study found that modern southern, central and eastern English populations were of "a predominantly Anglo-Saxon-like ancestry" while those from northern and southwestern England had a greater degree of indigenous origin. A major 2020 study, which used DNA from Viking-era burials in various regions across Europe, found that modern English samples showed nearly equal contributions from
20250-605: The surviving Britons in areas of predominantly Anglo-Saxon settlement, either archaeologically or linguistically, is still one of the deepest problems of early English history." An emerging view is that the degree of population replacement by the Anglo-Saxons, and thus the degree of survival of the Romano-Britons, varied across England, and that as such the overall settlement of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons cannot be described by any one process in particular. Large-scale migration and population shift seems to be most applicable in
20400-433: The whole satisfied with current constitutional arrangements". From the earliest times, English people have left England to settle in other parts of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is impossible to identify their numbers, as British censuses have historically not invited respondents to identify themselves as English. However, the census does record place of birth, revealing that 8.1% of Scotland's population, 3.7% of
20550-463: The work, although he had claimed he could finish it in three. A warm reception greeted Johnson's Dictionary as it was the first dictionary that could be read with pleasure. The definitions full of wit and depth of thought supported by passages from beloved poets and philosophers, meant a reader could be content spending an evening poring over its pages. Johnson's choice of structure and format has certainly shaped future English dictionaries and lexicons and
20700-441: The world's oldest universities, has made many contributions to philosophy , science , technology and medicine , and is the birthplace of many prominent scientists and inventions . The Industrial Revolution began in the UK and had a profound effect on socio-economic and cultural conditions around the world. British culture has been influenced by historical and modern migration, the historical invasions of Great Britain, and
20850-544: Was a numerical decrease from the census in 1990 where 32,651,788 people or 13.1% of the population self-identified with English ancestry. Culture of the United Kingdom Modern ethnicities The culture of the United Kingdom is influenced by its combined nations' history ; its historically Christian religious life , its interaction with the cultures of Europe , the individual cultures of England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland , and
21000-477: Was a strong supporter of the German Felix Mendelssohn , an early Romantic composer who also strongly influenced British music. In Ireland, John Field invented the nocturne and may have been an influence on Chopin and Liszt. A notable development of the mid- to late-nineteenth century was the resurgence of English-language opera and the establishment of several prominent orchestras, including
21150-522: Was developed in Britain, and playwrights, poets, and authors are among its most prominent cultural figures. Britain has also made notable contributions to music , cinema , art , architecture and television . The UK is also the home of the Church of England , the state church and mother church of the Anglican Communion , the third-largest Christian denomination. Britain contains some of
21300-482: Was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1993. Broadcast from 1951 to 1960, radio comedy The Goon Show , starring Peter Sellers , Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe , mixed ludicrous plots with surreal humour, puns, catchphrases and an array of bizarre sound effects. The show has exerted considerable influence on British comedy and culture. As a film star Sellers in particular became influential to film actors by using different accents and guises and assuming multiple roles in
21450-655: Was for the most part a politically unified entity, and remained permanently so after 954. The nation of England was formed in 12 July 927 by Æthelstan of Wessex after the Treaty of Eamont Bridge , as Wessex grew from a relatively small kingdom in the South West to become the founder of the Kingdom of the English, incorporating all Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the Danelaw. The Norman conquest of England during 1066 brought Anglo-Saxon and Danish rule of England to an end, as
21600-433: Was interpreted as reflecting the legacy of French migration under the Normans. A landmark 2022 study titled "The Anglo-Saxon migration and the formation of the early English gene pool", found the English to be of plurality Anglo-Saxon-like ancestry, with heavy native Celtic Briton , and newly confirmed medieval French admixture. Significant regional variation was also observed. The first people to be called "English" were
21750-745: Was introduced during the 1st millennium. The influence of later invasions and migrations on the English population has been debated, as studies that sampled only modern DNA have produced uncertain results and have thus been subject to a large variety of interpretations. More recently, however, ancient DNA has been used to provide a clearer picture of the genetic effects of these movements of people. One 2016 study, using Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon era DNA found at grave sites in Cambridgeshire, calculated that ten modern day eastern English samples had 38% Anglo-Saxon ancestry on average, while ten Welsh and Scottish samples each had 30% Anglo-Saxon ancestry, with
21900-405: Was not politically unified until the 10th century. Before then, there were a number of petty kingdoms which gradually coalesced into a heptarchy of seven states, the most powerful of which were Mercia and Wessex . The English nation state began to form when the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united against Danish Viking invasions, which began around 800 AD. Over the following century and a half England
22050-403: Was set up in 2006. British Baroque music was heavily influenced by continental fashions. This is exemplified by George Frideric Handel , a German-born naturalised British citizen whose choral music set British taste for the next two centuries. His operas also helped Britain challenge Italy as a centre of operatic production. Classical music attracted much attention from 1784 with the formation of
22200-466: Was shot in 1895. The world's first colour motion picture was shot by Edward Raymond Turner in 1902. British film production suffered in the 1920s in face of competition from American imports and a legal requirement for cinemas to show a set quota of British films, which encouraged poor-quality, low-cost productions to meet this demand. This had changed by the 1940s, when the government encouraged fewer, higher-quality films to be made . This era also saw
22350-407: Was still an all-embracing word. It meant indiscriminately England and Wales; Great Britain; the United Kingdom; and even the British Empire. Foreigners used it as the name of a Great Power and indeed continue to do so. Bonar Law , by origin a Scotch Canadian , was not ashamed to describe himself as "Prime Minister of England" [...] Now terms have become more rigorous. The use of "England" except for
22500-508: Was the first dictionary of its kind, containing 40,000 words and nearly 114,000 quotes packed together with Johnson's personal touch. It is among the most influential dictionaries , or among most authoritative, in the history of the English language and considered to be a monumental achievement in lexicography . A group of London booksellers contracted Johnson to write a dictionary for the sum of 1,500 guineas (£1,575), equivalent to about £310,000 in 2024. Johnson took seven years to complete
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