Here is an interesting idea. The British are moving to France to re-establish the ancient Plantagenet kingdom of Henry 11. The romantic vision of Britains past within a modern pragmatic French state. It's enough to give the nationalists heart failure.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_m_z/andreas_whittam_smith/article2793058.ece
To speculate deliciously for a moment during a dreary morning of rain and more rain. Imagine in the future enough British people moving permanently to Aquitaine and being elected to local office as either Maire or Counsellor and having real political clout. Perhaps an independence from France movement could begin. Union with Britain might then become a political aspiration or even full self governing independence. Linkage with the Basque Nationalists might take place to further pressurise the French government to agree union or separation.
An interesting speculative question. Would you as a resident of France rather currently be governed by France or Britain? How different would your lives be under Mr Brown rather than Sarko.
In old Plantagenet France the residents and England fought a long campaign to remain part of Henry’s kingdom. France eventually overcame resistance because the English armies ran out of steam and money. Could history repeat itself?
The nation state we know as France today is relatively new (in historical terms). After all, Nice and Savoy only "joined" in the mid 1860s.
The history of the French crown over the years has been to painstakingly acquire all those independent duchies etc one by one to "grow" France. It has led to some interesting marriage alliances. For example, Eleanor of Acquitaine was quite a prize for the King of France - what a pity she gave him only daughters and Henry II all those warring sons . Then there was Anne of Brittany - married off to two Kings of France and again, only daughters. Both ladies wanted only because of their lands.
This is of interest to me as my 25th Great Grandfather was Thomas of Brotherton, son of Edward I and Margaret Capet of France. Thomas actually spawned the Dukes of Norfolk.
Jura wrote: This is of interest to me as my 25th Great Grandfather was Thomas of Brotherton, son of Edward I and Margaret Capet of France. Thomas actually spawned the Dukes of Norfolk.
So....you're a cousin of Mathew Pinset (?sp) then
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