Unity

   The change in monarchy dominates the news this week, raising the question of how long and whether the British association of nations will continue as it has for so many years.
   Already, there has been talk of some countries changing its association with Britain, and that talk has increased in recent days as the new king moves in.
   Britain has shown unity for several hundred years, since the death of the first Queen Elizabeth enabled her cousin, King James VI of Scotland, to add the English crown to his collection. A few years later, to satisfy the peoples of each nation, the two kingdoms were formally united, and adopted its current name. By calling itself "Great Britain," the kingdom avoided the hassle of having to choose which nation came first: Was it to be the United Kingdom of Scotland and England, or the United Kingdom of England and Scotland?
   The problem was solved when the phrase Great Britain was adopted. Even now, some broadcast journalists refer to the combined nations only by the one where the monarch spends most of her/his time -- England.
   This, of course, annoys the Scots greatly, plus the Welsh and the people of Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland broke away and became a fully independent nation a hundred years ago.
   Meanwhile, the use of the term "united" was adopted by several of its colonies when they declared independence in 1776 and became the United States.
   Eventually, a similar rationale led to the formation of the United Nations in 1945, even as the union was less political but more brotherly.
   This brotherly attitude remained part of the United Kingdom even as its former colonies became more self-governing. But they retained the image of the monarch on their coins, and acknowledged the monarch as the chief of state.
   Head of government, however, was another issue. Even today, many nations, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several dozen others retain the monarch as their head of state even as they name a prime minister to lead their governments.
   Now many of those nations are considering again whether it is time to break that tie with the British monarchy and become fully independent even as they retain close ties with Great Britain.
   The American colonies declared their independence in 1776, but there remains a great sense of loyalty to Britain.
   Is it largely because many nations share the same language? Perhaps. Or is it a matter of maintaining an association to benefit the common weal?
   No, that's not a typo. The phrase is the root from which the term commonwealth is taken.
   This union is likely to remain, on a social and linguistic level, even as the political and governmental association is separated.