Interesting email from an Irish fellow about Irish kilts.

[Phil]

I thought that Great Britain was the big island (you know: England, Scotland & Wales) and the United Kingdom was included North Ireland and so on. But of course I may be getting most of this from the movie King Ralph.

For nationality purposes the Channel Islands and Isle of man (Crown dependencies - possessions of the Crown) are deemed to be of British nationality. The United Kingdom itself comprises only England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) and Northern Ireland. Britain came about after the Union of The Crowns between Scotland and England in 1603 when James VI of Scotland assumed the crown of both kingdoms. At the time Wales was considered an integral part of England as a principality as was Ireland being part of the English crown following its conquest in Tudor times, Henry VIII being declared king of Ireland. Hence Great Britain was essentially Scotland together with England (incorporating Wales and Ireland). Simple isn't it?