Good King George - A Republican Britain and a Monarchist America

Would you like to see

  • More of the United Commonwealth

    Votes: 33 13.0%
  • United Provinces of America

    Votes: 144 56.9%
  • Patagonia

    Votes: 22 8.7%
  • European Affairs

    Votes: 54 21.3%

  • Total voters
    253
Introduction
Good King George

"The so-called Good King George III of Great Britain, Ireland and latterly America came to the throne with great ambition and a desire to rule, a trait of quiet absolutism that was quickly forced down as he grappled with his place as an increasingly constitutional monarch. But this streak of wilfulness never truly left the man and had it no been for a fateful meeting with lauded American polymath Benjamin Franklin, it might have remained merely a dormant one. Through him, he would introduce the King to several thinkers who argued that a Monarch, while limited by the people's will, should act when required to defend the subject God has granted him to rule. Still, little came of it; the realm was largely stable as far as the King could see.

But as the colonies became ever bolder in their demands for their rights to be recognized, the King, whose court now contained more than a few Americans, began to consider whether it was not his duty to uphold the liberties of his peoples? was it not his sacred trust to defend their ancient rights? And with that thought now taking shape, he began delaying royal ascent to acts he felt 'went too far in their efforts to secure control over our wayward subjects, and leaned toward tyranny' demanding alterations in line with colonial concerns. At first, this was a nuisance, but it soon shifted toward crisis when in 1774 he refused royal assent to the Massachusetts Government Act, referring to it as 'completely at odds with the principles of fair government'. For many in the Whig Party, this proved a bridge too far, and as mass celebrations broke out across the colonies for Good King George, in the Home Islands, plans were being put in place to remove the King before he became another Charles I, and in those efforts to avoid the threat of chaos, they would help trigger the First British Civil War."


Extract from - A History of the British peoples beginning with the Great Schism, by Emily Blunt​



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Given there has been some interest in the Wikiboxes I've been posting, I thought. Why not throw my hand into the ring on the timelines front. Open to questions as they come, and happy to take suggestions or ideas, or outright contributions
 
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The Aristocratic Republic
The Aristocratic Republic

O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
Lord Burke commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away.

The United Commonwealth of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the United Commonwealth (UC) or Britain, is a country predominantly located in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental, with further member states located in Asia and the Mediterranean. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Malta, Cornwall, and Hong Kong. However, England is divided into states within the Union's Federal System.

The United Commonwealth is a federal republic and parliamentary democracy. Though it does retain a powerful unelected system of peers, leaving it as an outlier among republics. Though the House of Lords has been curtailed in recent decades, it remains filled with hereditary peers. The capital and largest city is London, a global city and financial centre with a metropolitan area population of over 14 million. London is home to a number of international institutions including the headquarters of the Community of British Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations. Other major cities include the city-state of Hong Kong, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds. The union is divided into 16 states with varying degrees of autonomy under the Federalisation Act and the terms of the London Conference of 1969. With the most autonomy afforded to Ireland under the terms of the Home Rule Act.

The United Commonwealth has evolved from a series of annexations and unions of the constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1784 with the Kingdom of Ireland and adoption of the Commonwealth Consitution created the modern republic United Commonwealth of Great Britain and Ireland. These events came about as a result of the First British Civil War, leading to the abolition of the British Monarchy in Great Britain and Ireland, and its exile to America. Queen Victoria, the current Monarch, remains styled Queen-in-Exil of Great Britain and Ireland, among her other titles as the sovereign of the United Provinces, a source of continuing tension in diplomatic matters. Malta would be annexed in 1956, expanding the Union as the Empire was dissolved. The UC would become a federal state in 1970 as a result of agreements that ended the Second British Civil War (referred to as the Third British Civil War in American Sources) with Cornwall being granted country status and statehood during the negotiations separating it from England. It reached its current territorial area in 2000 with the accession of Hong Kong into the Union. The UC became the world's first industrialised country and was one, along with Napoleonic France, of the world's foremost powers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 21st century, the UC remains a leading power, with considerable global influence, even after having lost its superpower status in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UC, being Federal Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 20 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1940s after the brief annexation of much of French Africa, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies, with much of this being perpetuated and further spread by the United Provinces of America.

The United Commonwealth has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), and the sixth-largest by purchasing power parity. It has a high-income economy and a very high Human Development Index rating. It also performs well in international ranking in measures of socioeconomic performance, though ranks poorly in terms of social mobility, retaining an entrenched titled aristocracy. It is a recognized nuclear-armed state, the third country on earth to do so. It has been a permanent member of the Security Council of the Congress of Nations since 1948 and remains a considerable military power, ranking fourth globally in military expenditure and retaining mandatory national service.

The United Commonwealth is a member of the Community of British Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Congress of Europe, the G5, the G20, Six Eyes, the Congress of Nations, CDTO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Interpol, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).


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Source - Used the Wikipedia Page for the United Kindom as a Template
 
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Also jumped on the bandwagon.

With respect to the author's rights -
Parliament keeps the Cromwell Lion on its coat of arms even after a break from the commonwealth? I understand that using St George's Cross and the Saltire was primarily a commonwealth feature, only they're less heraldic than the lions. Similarly, involving an Irish element on the flag evolved to be St Patrick's Saltire. All I'm saying that in case the commonwealth would be revived, wouldn't she update her identity?

I also wonder about the difference between the countries and the states. Isn't autonomism a primarily rightist idea? If the commonwealth leans to the left, wouldn't integrationalism be the prevailing ideology?

Can I ask about the role and function of a Senior Law Lord?

I'm very excited to see what New England looks like in TTL!
Also, what happened to the Empire in TTL? Remains with the monarchy based in America?

All in all a very good start to a great TL, congrats in advance! Looking forward to seeing updates on it!
 
Also jumped on the bandwagon.

Glad you like it.

Now, to your questions. That coat of arms is subject to change, honestly, I just used the old one since it's already in the Wikipedia system. That said the idea I had is that it was adopted during the formation of the Commonwealth as a stopgap. And your right would certainly be changed. I'm going to work on a modern-day version and update it when I'm happy with the design. That said, Cromwell looms large here, it's why West Merica's capital is in Worchester. An area of great tension in the modern Commonwealth is Cromwell's prominence. Something the Irish wish to see done away with.

I also wonder about the difference between the countries and the states. Isn't autonomism a primarily rightist idea? If the commonwealth leans to the left, wouldn't integrationalism be the prevailing ideology?
In a practical sense, there really is no difference these days. The country system is a relic from a bygone era before federalization and remained in place to placate nationalist forces after a brief civil war in the late 60s. In effect. Scotland is a Country of the United Commonwealth and a state in the federal system. When the federalization act was being negotiated at the London Conference, they planned on just using the Nations of the Commonwealth as the basis of it, but many feared that an English First Minister could challenge the already destabilized Commonwealth government, so England had to be broken up. But that would have angered many in England. So, the state system was devised. If that makes sense,

Can I ask about the role and function of a Senior Law Lord?

The Senior Law Lord is the chief justice of the commonwealth and was spun off from the house of lords during an era of reform in the early 1900s. They are appointed by the Lord Protector by the consent of the parliament and head the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary.

I'm very excited to see what New England looks like in TTL!

Oh, New England is quite the place here. The heartland of the reunification movement it's also filled with more than a few Peers of the Realm that settled there after fleeing the home islands. I'll do some regional write-ups on America once I finish the map

Also, what happened to the Empire in TTL? Remains with the monarchy based in America?

Pretty much all of the Empire outside of the American continental mainland remained in Commonwealth hands, much of the Navy stayed loyal to parliament, and what didn't was busy ferrying loyalists to America to secure possessions elsewhere. That said American efforts to reclaim the Caribbean persisted into the mid-1800s

Any requests?
 
The United Commonwealth: Modern Politics - Part I
The Aristocratic Republic - Part II
Thank you for the kind words so far. Here's an update to some older boxes, and some additions. I'll be doing a fuller write-up on them later.


YTiIYwB.png
 
The Aristocratic Republic

O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain.
Lord Burke commands and we obey
Over the hills and far away.

The United Commonwealth of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the United Commonwealth (UC) or Britain, is a country predominantly located in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental, with further member states located in Asia and the Mediterranean. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Malta, Cornwall, and Hong Kong. However, England is divided into states within the Union's Federal System.

The United Commonwealth is a federal republic and parliamentary democracy. Though it does retain a powerful unelected system of peers, leaving it as an outlier among republics. Though the House of Lords has been curtailed in recent decades, it remains filled with hereditary peers. The capital and largest city is London, a global city and financial centre with a metropolitan area population of over 14 million. London is home to a number of international institutions including the headquarters of the Community of British Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations. Other major cities include the city-state of Hong Kong, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds. The union is divided into 16 states with varying degrees of autonomy under the Federalisation Act and the terms of the London Conference of 1969. With the most autonomy afforded to Ireland under the terms of the Home Rule Act.

The United Commonwealth has evolved from a series of annexations and unions of the constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1784 with the Kingdom of Ireland and adoption of the Commonwealth Consitution created the modern republic United Commonwealth of Great Britain and Ireland. These events came about as a result of the First British Civil War, leading to the abolition of the British Monarchy in Great Britain and Ireland, and its exile to America. Queen Victoria, the current Monarch, remains styled Queen-in-Exil of Great Britain and Ireland, among her other titles as the sovereign of the United Provinces, a source of continuing tension in diplomatic matters. Malta would be annexed in 1956, expanding the Union as the Empire was dissolved. The UC would become a federal state in 1970 as a result of agreements that ended the Second British Civil War (referred to as the Third British Civil War in American Sources) with Cornwall being granted country status and statehood during the negotiations separating it from England. It reached its current territorial area in 2000 with the accession of Hong Kong into the Union. The UC became the world's first industrialised country and was one, along with Napoleonic France, of the world's foremost powers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 21st century, the UC remains a leading power, with considerable global influence, even after having lost its superpower status in the aftermath of the Second World War.

The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UC, being Federal Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 20 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1940s after the brief annexation of much of French Africa, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies, with much of this being perpetuated and further spread by the United Provinces of America.

The United Commonwealth has the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), and the sixth-largest by purchasing power parity. It has a high-income economy and a very high Human Development Index rating. It also performs well in international ranking in measures of socioeconomic performance, though ranks poorly in terms of social mobility, retaining an entrenched titled aristocracy. It is a recognized nuclear-armed state, the third country on earth to do so. It has been a permanent member of the Security Council of the Congress of Nations since 1948 and remains a considerable military power, ranking fourth globally in military expenditure and retaining mandatory national service.

The United Commonwealth is a member of the Community of British Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Congress of Europe, the G5, the G20, Six Eyes, the Congress of Nations, CDTO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Interpol, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).



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Source - Used the Wikipedia Page for the United Kindom as a Template
There are two "Regional and Minority languages" sections in the first box.
 
Any requests?
Haha.
Well, not so much requests, but questions I might have at first glance.

In OTL the Anglosphere mainly consists of a republic in America and a monarchy scattered around the planet. How does it play out in TTL? A scattered republic and a large contiguous monarchy?

It would be nice to see lists of LP's and PM's of the UC and monarchs and heads of government of the UP.

Maps would also be lovely to have of America for example.

In such a timeline, which country is the 'leader of the free world (TM)'? Is it still America?

It's interesting that the monarchy didn't adopt a local title for the head of the royal family.
 
If North America is considered part of Great Britain and Ireland, then can we talk about a 'monarchy-in-exile' at all? Of course this is a question to all who aim to explore similar timelines.

On another note, what does King George III 'backs the colonies' mean? So to what level did the revolution succeed? They obviously didn't declare a republic, but what about Declaration of Independence, flag, Liberty Bell, Washington DC, Congress, ideology of the Founding Fathers, POTUS, etc?

And love to know more about the Realm of Patagonia!
 
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In OTL the Anglosphere mainly consists of a republic in America and a monarchy scattered around the planet. How does it play out in TTL? A scattered republic and a large contiguous monarchy?

Let's just say... all will be revealed

It would be nice to see lists of LP's and PM's of the UC and monarchs and heads of government of the UP.

Should be finished in a few days

Maps would also be lovely to have of America for example.

Something is in the works

In such a timeline, which country is the 'leader of the free world (TM)'? Is it still America?

It is, though one of my aims here is to create a more multipolar world. America is the leader of the free world, the leading democracy on earth. But is founded the principal that the monarch should interfere to defend the rights of the people. That causes... issues

It's interesting that the monarchy didn't adopt a local title for the head of the royal family.
If North America is considered part of Great Britain and Ireland, then can we talk about a 'monarchy-in-exile' at all? Of course this is a question to all who aim to explore similar timelines.

Yes, it very much is. The full title of the American Monarch is

Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Provinces of America and the Realms of Liberia, Patagonia, and the Philippines Queen, Protector of Her Peoples Liberties, Defender of the Faith, Rightful Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, President of the Community of British Nations

For many, the Dream of Reunification is their key political philosophy, and more than a few American leaders, including the current Prime Minister, have caused controversy by calling for a vote on the subject.

On another note, what does King George III 'backs the colonies' mean? So to what level did the revolution succeed? They obviously didn't declare a republic, but what about Declaration of Independence, flag, Liberty Bell, Washington DC, Congress, ideology of the Founding Fathers, POTUS, etc?

Some of that happens, and some of it doesn't. The Declaration of Independence never happens, though something similar to it is published denouncing the British government shortly after George arrives in the colonies, to a hero's welcome might I add. The Congress will be the American Parliament, formed from the Continental Congress in 1788 when the sitting President-General takes office as the first Prime Minister of the United Provinces. Washington DC will be the city of Georgetown, a somewhat larger place than OTL DC due to it containing the Royal Palace. As for the ideology of the Founding Fathers, it's something I'm still working on. Some reconcile their beliefs with the idea of a monarch as a defender of liberty, in the vein of Good King George, some.. well they might be on the opposite side here. It's going to be a real Civil War.

And love to know more about the Realm of Patagonia!

Something small on that below! With more on the way soon

a glimpse into America's politics?

Working on something for that now!
 
The Community of British Nations - Reunification Movement
"It is my profound hope, that before my life ends, I will see the royal standard fly over St. James Palace again"
Charles Baker - Addressing the British Parliament in 2022.​

The Community of British Nations simply referred to as the Community, is a political union of 5 member states, all of which were at one time British settler colonies, and the United Commonwealth.

Founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, as a requirement of considerable near zero interest reconstruction loans granted to the United Commonwealth by the United Provinces, the Community was devised as an effort to cement wartime intergovernmental cooperation, as a stepping stone to the Reunification of the Realm, a key component of American foreign policy from the foundation of the nation to the present day. Australia and New Zealand were invited to join, as was the close American ally, and former British colony, the Realm of Patagonia. These states were, in the words of American Prime Minister Winston Churchill "Wayward British Nations, longing to be restored to Union with the Crown".

Member states allow freedom of travel between themselves and though the Community itself provides no legal obligations, they are connected through their use of the English language, cultural, legal and historical ties. While the organisation has largely been successful in fostering deeper ties between its member states, resulting in greater political, economic, intelligence and military cooperation, the other nations within the Community remain wary of American attempts to force the issue of Reunification to the table, the 2019 Pan-British Sumit being the most recent, with the event being publically denounced in a joint statement by the Australian, British, and New Zealand Governments.

The President of the Community of British Nations is Queen Victoria, she is the Queen of 2 member states and the claimant to the abolished thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, the predecessor states to the United Commonwealth. This post was formed at the insistence of the American Government in 1975 to mark the bicentennial of the Civil War.

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I see Steve Irwin managed to avoid that fateful encounter with the stingray. What inspired him to go into politics?

I should note, that while the office of Lord Protector in the United Commonwealth is very powerful, in Australia and New Zealand it is a figurehead position for reasons I'll expand on later.

That said

Steve Irwin, worried about a lack of concrete action by the Australian Government on conservation, decided to run in the 2018 election to boost the issue. Touring the country in hopes of starting a wider conversation. His victory was a shock to everyone including him. Though he has proven a popular Lord Protector.
 
I am curious about Malta. Is there an independence movement from the United Commonwealth there? Given the Nationalist Government.

How much of North & South America is the United Provinces composed of?

What happened to our World’s British Empire? Were all the Eastern Hemisphere components part of the United Commonwealth while all the Western Hemisphere Components are part of the United Provinces?

What’s the state of the Caribbean? Africa?
 
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