Those dusty old archives do reveal some fascinating stuff. Who would have believed that a couple of years before I was born the French were considering entering into a union with the UK? It’s all true, apparently.
Formerly secret documents unearthed from the National Archives have showed Britain and France considered a “union” in the 1950s.
On 10 September 1956 French Prime Minister Guy Mollet arrived in London for talks with his British counterpart, Anthony Eden.
Eden was dismissive. Of course, some of the things that Mollet proposed surfaced in the behemoth that is the EU. But, what if?
Would we be speaking French, English or Franglais?
Would Le Weekend include Mondays?
Would we have ditched the dreary dirge that is our national anthem in favour of the more rousing Marseillaise?
Who would be head of state? And if it was our monarch, we could always adopt the French method of removal…
Would we be driving on the right or would they be driving on the left?
Garlic on your poisson et frites, Monsieur?
Union flag or Tricolore?
Boeuf Bourguignon followed by jam roly poly?
Would we all up sticks and head for Blackpool on August the first?
Two hour lunch breaks?
I could go on and on and on…
It sounds like a fine idea to me – the old enemy becoming a part of the Union – but neither the British nor French would have any truck with it.
Shame… could have been fun.
Well I don’t see what’s wrong with our National Anthem. Especially the third verse.*
*God grant that General Wade
May by Thy mighty aid
Victory bring!
May he sedition hush
And like a torrent rush
Rebellious Scots to crush!
God save the King
Oh, yes, that verse…
Would the General be any relation, perchance?
Tradition says yes, but I’ve no idea if it’s true. Anyhow it’s a good way to get a rise out of a room full of Americans. “All right, hands up everyone in this room whose family is mentioned by name in their country’s National Anthem.”