Editing Britannia (section)

== British revival ==

[[File:The death of Admiral Lord Nelson - in the moment of victory! by James Gillray (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Britannia mourning the death of [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson]] at the victorious [[Battle of Trafalgar]] in a cartoon by [[James Gillray]]]]

=== Medieval use ===

After the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire|Roman withdrawal]], the term "Britannia" remained in use in Britain and abroad. Latin was ubiquitous amongst native [[Romano-British|Brythonic]] writers and the term continued in the [[Welsh Literature|Welsh tradition]] that developed from it. Writing with variations on the term ''Britannia'' (or ''[[Prydein]]'' in the native language) appeared in many Welsh works such as the ''[[Historia Britonum]]'', ''[[Armes Prydein]]'' and the 12th-century ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'', which gained unprecedented popularity throughout western Europe during the [[High Middle Ages]].

Following the migration of [[Celtic Britons|Brythonic]] Celts, the term ''Britannia'' also came to refer to the [[Armorica|Armorican peninsula]] (at least from the 6th century).<ref>
{{cite book
| last                  = Fleuriot
| first                 = Léon
| author-link            = Léon Fleuriot
| title                 = Les Origines de la Bretagne: l'émigration
| trans-title=The origins of Brittany: emigration
| year                  = 1980
| publisher             = Payot
| location              = Paris
| language              = fr
| isbn                  = 2228127108
| pages                  = 52–53
}}
</ref> The modern English, French, Breton and Gallo names for the area, all derive from a literal use of ''Britannia'' meaning "land of the Britons". The two "Britannias" gave rise to the term ''Grande Bretagne'' (Great Britain) to distinguish the island of Britain from the continental peninsula.

Following the [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain]], the term "Briton" only referred to the [[Britons (historical)|native British]], Celtic-speaking inhabitants of the province; this remained the case until the modern era. The use of the term as an inhabitant of the island of [[Great Britain]] or the [[UK]] is relatively recent.<ref name=oed>{{cite web|title=Britishness|work=Oxford English Dictionary Online|url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50027736?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=Britishness&first=1&max_to_show=10|date=September 2008|access-date=14 September 2010}}</ref>

=== Renaissance and British Empire ===

{{Multiple image
| align             =
| direction         = vertical
| total_width       =
| image1            = Reception of the American Loyalists.jpg
| alt1              =
| caption1          = ''Reception of the American Loyalists by Great Britain in the Year 1783'' engraved by [[Henry Moses (engraver)|Henry Moses]] after [[Benjamin West]]. [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] seek aid from Britannia after their expulsion from the [[United States]].
| image2            = GillrayBritannia.jpg
| caption2          = ''Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis'' by [[James Gillray]] (1793). [[William Pitt the Younger]], [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], steers the ship ''[[Constitution of the United Kingdom|Constitution]]'' carrying Britannia.
}}

It was during the reign of [[Elizabeth I]] that "Britannia" again came to be used as a [[personification]] of Britain. In his 1576 "General and rare memorials pertayning to the Perfect Arte of Navigation", [[John Dee]] used a [[Book frontispiece|frontispiece]] figure of Britannia kneeling by the shore beseeching Elizabeth I, to protect her empire by strengthening her navy.<ref name=":2" />

With the death of Elizabeth in 1603 came the succession of her Scottish cousin, James VI, King of Scots, to the English throne. He became James I of England, and so brought under his personal rule the Kingdoms of [[Kingdom of England|England]] (and the dominion of Wales), [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]] and [[Kingdom of Scotland|Scotland]]. On 20 October 1604, [[James VI and I]] proclaimed himself as "King of Great Brittaine, France and Ireland", a title that continued to be used by many of his successors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/britstyles.htm#1604|title=Royal Arms, Styles, and Titles of Great Britain|first=Francois|last=Velde|website=heraldica.org}}</ref> When James came to the English throne, some elaborate pageants were staged. One pageant performed on the streets of London in 1605 was described in [[Anthony Munday]]'s ''Triumphs of Reunited Britannia'':
<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[File:50PREVISEDBRITANNIA.jpg|thumb|Britannia on a 50p coin.]] -->

<blockquote>On a mount triangular, as the island of Britain itself is described to be, we seat in the supreme place, under the shape of a fair and beautiful nymph, Britannia herself...</blockquote>

Britain's first road atlas was updated in a series of editions titled from the early 18th into the early 19th century using the title ''[[Britannia Depicta]]''.

During the reign of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], Britannia made her first appearance on English coins on a [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]] of 1672 (see ''Depiction on British coinage and postage stamps'' below). With the constitutional unification of England with Scotland in 1707 and then with Ireland in 1800, Britannia became an increasingly important symbol and a strong rallying point among Britons.

British power, which depended on a liberal political system and the supremacy of the [[Royal Navy|navy]], lent these attributes to the image of Britannia. By the time of [[Queen Victoria]], Britannia had been renewed. Still depicted as a young woman with brown or golden hair, she kept her [[Corinthian helmet]] and her white robes, but now she held [[Neptune's trident]] and often sat or stood before the ocean and tall-masted ships representing British naval power. She also usually held or stood beside a Greek [[hoplite]] shield, which sported the British [[Union Flag]]: also at her feet was often the British Lion, an animal found on the arms of England, Scotland and the Prince of Wales.

[[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]] is shown symbolically passing his trident to Britannia in the 1847 fresco "Neptune Resigning to Britannia the Empire of the Sea" by [[William Dyce]], a painting Victoria commissioned for her [[Osborne House]] on the [[Isle of Wight]].

[[File:Triple Entente.jpg|thumb|left|1914 Russian poster depicting the [[Triple Entente]] – Britannia (right) and [[Marianne]] (left) flank [[Mother Russia]], with Britannia's association with the sea provided by an [[anchor]]]]

New Zealanders adopted a similar personification of their country in [[Zealandia (personification)|Zealandia]], Britannia's daughter, who appeared on postage stamps at the turn of the 20th century<ref>[http://stampsnz.com/1901_penny_universal.html 1901 Penny Universal], Stamps NZ. Retrieved 25 January 2010.</ref> and still features in the [[New Zealand Coat of Arms]].<ref>[http://www.ngw.nl/int/nzl/nz-nat.htm National Coat of Arms of New Zealand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205000745/http://www.ngw.nl/int/nzl/nz-nat.htm |date=5 December 2010 }}, Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 25 January 2010.</ref>

Perhaps the best analogy is that Britannia is to the United Kingdom and the [[British Empire]] what [[Marianne]] is to France or perhaps what [[Columbia (name)|Columbia]] is to the United States. Britannia became a very potent and more common figure in times of war, and represented British liberties and democracy.

=== Modern associations ===

During the 1990s the term ''[[Cool Britannia]]'' (drawn from a humorous version by the [[Bonzo Dog Band]] of the song "[[Rule, Britannia!|Rule Britannia]]", with words by James Thomson [1700–1748], which is often used as an unofficial [[national anthem]]), was used to describe the contemporary United Kingdom.<ref>J. Ayto, ''Movers and Shakers: a Chronology of Words that Shaped our Age'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), {{ISBN|0-19-861452-7}}, p. 233.</ref> The phrase referred to the fashionable scenes of the era, with a new generation of pop groups and style magazines, successful young fashion designers, and a surge of new restaurants and hotels. Cool Britannia represented late-1990s Britain as a fashionable place to be.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6766539.stm "Cool Britannia"]. BBC News. Retrieved 9 November 2016</ref>

Britannia is sometimes used in political cartoons to symbol the United Kingdom's relationship with other countries.<ref>e.g. by [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2020/dec/22/ben-jennings-on-uk-and-france-crisis-talks-to-reopen-border-cartoon?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other Ben Jennings in ''The Guardian''.]</ref>

=== Depiction on British currency and postage stamps ===

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| direction =
| total_width = 300
| image1 = British pre-decimal halfpenny 1936 reverse.png
| alt1 =
| caption1 = 1936 [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny]]
| image2 = Coin britannia george VI.jpeg
| caption2 = 1937 [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]]
| header = Britannia on coins of [[George VI]] ({{reign|1936|1952}})
}}

==== Coinage ====

Although the archetypical image of Britannia seated with a shield first appeared on Roman bronze coins of the 1st century AD struck under [[Hadrian]], Britannia's first appearance on British coinage was on the [[Farthing (British coin)|farthing]] in 1672, though earlier pattern versions had appeared in 1665, followed by the [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny]] later the same year. The figure of Britannia was said by [[Samuel Pepys]] to have been modelled on Frances Teresa Stuart, the future [[Frances Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox|Duchess of Richmond]],<ref name="24carat"/> who was famous at the time for refusing to become the mistress of Charles II, despite the King's strong infatuation with her. Britannia then appeared on the [[British halfpenny coin]] throughout the rest of the 17th century and thereafter until 1936. The halfpennies issued during the reign of [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] have Britannia closely resembling the queen herself.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/halfp.html |title=3 – The Halfpenny |work=Coins of the UK |publisher=Tony Clayton}}</ref> When the [[Bank of England]] was granted a charter in 1694, the directors decided within days that the device for their official seal should represent 'Brittannia sitting on looking on a Bank of Mony' (sic). Britannia also appeared on the [[History of the English penny|penny coin between 1797 and 1967]], occasional issues such as the fourpence under [[William IV]] between 1836 and 1837, and on the [[Fifty pence (British coin)|50 pence]] coin between 1969 and 2008.<ref>{{cite news
  |url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gordonbrown/story/0,,2247910,00.html
  |title=Brown blamed as Britannia gets the boot
  |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]  |access-date=28 January 2008  | first=Steven | last=Morris | date=28 January 2008
}}</ref> See "External Links" below for examples of all these coins and others.

In the spring of 2008, the [[Royal Mint]] unveiled [[Coins of the pound sterling#2008 redesign|new coin designs]] "reflecting a more modern twenty-first century Britain"<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.royalmint.com/PackedSets/UKL8SPS.aspx |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081014082751/http://www.royalmint.com/PackedSets/UKL8SPS.aspx |archive-date=14 October 2008 |title=2008 Emblems of Britain Silver Proof Collection |publisher=The Royal Mint
}}</ref> which do not feature the image of Britannia. The government pointed out, however, that earlier-design 50p coins will remain in circulation for the foreseeable future.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7326491.stm |title=Royal Mint unveils coin designs|publisher=BBC News |date=2 April 2008}}</ref> Also Britannia still appeared on the gold and silver "[[Britannia (coin)|Britannia]]" bullion coins issued annually by the Royal Mint.

A new definitive £2 coin was issued in 2015, with a new image of Britannia. In late 2015, a limited edition (100000 run) £50 coin was produced, bearing the image of Britannia on one side and Queen [[Elizabeth II]] on the obverse.<ref>[http://www.royalmint.com/shop/Britannia_2015_UK_50_pound_Fine_Silver_Coin "Britannia 2015 UK £50 Fine Silver Coin"]. Royal Mint. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203012326/http://www.royalmint.com/shop/Britannia_2015_UK_50_pound_Fine_Silver_Coin# |date=3 December 2015 }}</ref>
[[File:Britannia 2021.jpg|thumb|150x150px|2021 Britannia one ounce gold bullion coin featuring four advanced security features for the first time]]
In October 2020, The Royal Mint released the 2021 Britannia bullion coin range. The original 1987 coin design by Philip Nathan was enhanced with new security features. The Royal Mint claims this makes the Britannia "the world's most visually secure bullion coin." The security features include a latent image, micro-text, surface animation and tincture lines.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Royal Mint unveil the world's most visually secure bullion coin |url=https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/the-royal-mint-unveil-the-worlds-most-visually-secure-bullion-coin/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |website=Royal Mint}}</ref>{{third-party inline|date=May 2022}}

In 2021, the Royal Mint issued a new range of commemorative coins featuring a redesigned Britannia as a woman of colour.<ref>[https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/britannia-woman-of-colour "For The First Time, The Royal Mint Issues A Coin Featuring Britannia As A Woman Of Colour"] British Vogue</ref>

==== Banknotes ====
{{main|Bank of England note issues}}

{{multiple image
| align    = right
| total_width = 300
| image1   = Bank of England £5 note 1952.jpg
| caption1 = A 1952 Bank of England five pound note or "white fiver" showing Britannia in the top left corner
| image2   = Stamp irl 1922 2N6se.jpg
| caption2 = A 1922 [[King George V Seahorses]] postage stamp, featuring Britannia with an [[Irish Free State]] overprint
}}

A figure of Britannia appeared on the "white fiver" (a five pound note printed in black and white) from 1855 for more than a century, until 1957.<ref>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/others/%C2%A35_note,_bank_of_england.aspx | title=£5 note, Bank of England | publisher=British Museum | access-date=24 January 2013
  | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203091018/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/others/%C2%A35_note,_bank_of_england.aspx | archive-date=3 February 2013
}}</ref>

From 1928 "Britannia Series A" ten shilling and one pound notes were printed with a seated Britannia bearing both a spear and an olive branch.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bsswebsite.me.uk/A%20Short%20History%20of/banknotes.html | title=A Short History of English Banknotes | date=17 June 2009 | access-date=24 January 2013 | author=Sharples, BS}}</ref>

The 25 cents fractional paper currency of the Dominion of Canada (1870, 1900 and 1923 respectively) all depict Britannia.

==== Postage stamps ====

Britannia also featured on the high value Great Britain definitive postage stamps issued during the reign of [[George V]] (known as '[[King George V Seahorses|seahorses]]') and is depicted on the £10 stamp first issued in 1993.

=== Britannia watermark in paper ===

The Britannia [[watermark]] has been widely used in papermaking, usually showing her seated. An example can be found at [http://papermoulds.typepad.com/photos/m255_bachelor_son_laid_mo/m255c-batchelor-son-britannia-watermark.html papermoulds.typepad.com]

=== Brit Awards ===

Britannia is depicted in the [[Brit Award]] statuette, the [[British Phonographic Industry]]'s annual music awards.<ref name="Zaha">{{cite news|title=Dame Zaha Hadid's Brit Awards statuette design unveiled|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-38160633|publisher=BBC|date=1 December 2016}}</ref><ref name="Hirst">{{cite news|title=Damien Hirst's 2013 Brit Award statue unveiled|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/20965660/damien-hirsts-2013-brit-award-statue-unveiled|publisher=BBC|date=1 December 2016}}</ref> The statuette of Britannia has been regularly redesigned by some of the best known British designers, stylists and artists, including [[Damien Hirst]], [[Tracey Emin]], [[Peter Blake (artist)|Sir Peter Blake]] and also the late [[Vivienne Westwood|Dame Vivienne Westwood]] and [[Zaha Hadid|Dame Zaha Hadid]].<ref name="Zaha"/><ref name="Hirst"/>