Perfidious Albion facts for kids

A German poster from World War I showing the "Perfidious Albion" idea.

"Perfidious Albion" is a strong, negative phrase. It's used in world politics to describe times when the United Kingdom (or England before 1707) was seen as being unfair, tricky, or breaking promises. This happened when they were trying to get what they wanted for their own country.

The word Perfidious means someone who doesn't keep their word or promises. It comes from the Latin word perfidia. Albion is a very old and poetic name for Great Britain.

What "Perfidious Albion" Means

How the Phrase Started

The idea of describing England as "perfidious" (meaning disloyal or tricky) has been around for a long time. People have found examples of this idea as far back as the 1200s.

A French bishop named Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet used a very similar phrase in a sermon in the 1600s:

However, the exact phrase "Perfidious Albion" is usually said to have been created by Augustin Louis de Ximénès. He was a French-Spanish writer. He wrote it in a poem called "L'Ère des Français" in 1793:

Why Britain Was Called "Perfidious" in 1793

At that time, Great Britain was seen as "perfidious" because of politics. When the French Revolution first started, many people in Britain liked the idea. The revolution aimed to create a constitutional monarchy, similar to Britain's own government.

But then, the revolution changed. Louis XVI, the French king, was overthrown and executed. France became a republic. After this, Britain joined other European monarchies against the French Revolution. The French revolutionaries saw this as a "perfidious" (disloyal) betrayal by Britain.

How the Phrase Was Used Over Time

The phrase "La perfide Albion" became a common saying in France during the 1800s. French journalists used it whenever there were problems between France and Britain. For example, it was used during the "Scramble for Africa" when European countries were competing for colonies. This led to events like the Fashoda Incident.

The phrase also became popular through La Famille Fenouillard [fr], an early French comic strip. In the comic, a character complains about "Perfidious Albion, which burnt Joan of Arc on the rock of Saint Helena". This mixes two historical events: Joan of Arc's execution (which some link to English influence) and Napoleon's death in exile on Saint Helena.

In German-speaking countries, the term "das perfide Albion" also became more common. This happened especially during the time of the German Empire (1871–1918), when tensions between Britain and Germany were growing.

Examples of "Perfidious Albion" in History

The phrase "Perfidious Albion" has been used in many different situations to describe Britain's actions.

• Treaty of Limerick (1691): Some people in Ireland used the term when the English broke promises made in the Treaty of Limerick in 1691. This treaty ended a war between Irish Catholic forces and English forces. The treaty offered good terms to Irish Catholics, including freedom to worship and own property. But these terms were soon taken away by new laws in 1695.

• "The Foggy Dew" Song: The Irish song "The Foggy Dew" mentions the term. The song is about the Easter Rising in Ireland. It points out that England was fighting World War I to help "Small Nations" be free, but at the same time, it was stopping Ireland's own fight for freedom.

• 1890 British Ultimatum to Portugal: In Portugal, the phrase was used a lot after Britain gave Portugal an ultimatum in 1890. This happened because Cecil Rhodes opposed Portugal's plans for colonies in Africa. Portugal and England had been allies since 1386.

• Fascist Italy's Propaganda: During the time of Fascist Italy, the Italian term "perfida Albione" was used in propaganda. This propaganda criticized the British Empire's global power. It showed the British as harsh colonial rulers who took advantage of other lands and people. The term became very common after the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. Britain approved trade sanctions against Italy for attacking Ethiopia. Italy saw this as Britain trying to stop Italy from getting its "rightful" colonies, while Britain itself was expanding its own power.

• Vichy France: During the Vichy French government in World War II, Philippe Petain often called the UK "blood-soaked Perfidious Albion." He said Britain was France's "eternal enemy." These feelings grew stronger after the British Attack on Mers-el-Kébir, which caused great anger in France.

• British Rule in Palestine: The father of Israeli writer Amos Oz wrote pamphlets for the Irgun group. These pamphlets attacked "perfidious Albion" during the time of British rule in Palestine.

• 1950 World Cup: After Spain beat England in the 1950 World Cup, the head of the Spanish Football Federation sent a telegram to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. It said, "we have beaten Perfidious Albion."

• Rhodesian Independence: Ian Smith used the term in his book The Great Betrayal (1997). He used it to describe his disagreement with how Britain handled Rhodesia's independence.

• Kuwait and Iraq: In his book I'm Not the Only One (2004), British politician George Galloway said that Kuwait was "stolen from the motherland by perfidious Albion." He believed Kuwait was part of Iraq.

• Gibraltar's Chief Minister: In 2012, Fabian Picardo, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, used the phrase. He was talking about the UK government's position on the UN Decolonisation Committee. He said, "Perfidious Albion, for this reason ... The position of the United Kingdom is as usual so nuanced that it's difficult to see where they are on the spectrum, but look that's what Britain's like and we all love being British."

• Brexit Discussions: The term was used when people were discussing Britain leaving the European Union (Brexit). This was before the referendum in 2016. A French newspaper article said that a poll showed "the British will always be seen as the Perfidious Albion." After the vote, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU.

See also

• Anti-British sentiment
• Perfidy
• Western betrayal