Your questions answered about ‘England Together 1100 Years’
What is England Together: 1100 Years?
England Together: 1100 Years is a community-led campaign marking the 1100th anniversary of the founding of England in 927 AD, when King Æthelstan unified the warring Anglo‑Saxon and Viking kingdoms into a single political community, what we now know today as England.
The campaign aims to turn this milestone into a national moment of belonging, encouraging people across England to reflect on their shared identities, local heritages, and the beliefs and values that connect communities today.
Why mark the 1100th anniversary now?
There are fears the opportunity for transforming this remarkable anniversary for everyone who cares about England into a national moment of bridge building and belonging will be missed or could be hijacked by extremists.
This is a rare milestone opportunity in our country’s story to reflect, come together, be inspired by the positive things we share in common at a time of growing social division, and polarisation. We can shape a constructive, inclusive narrative to take us forward with greater self-belief, confidence, and purpose.
Why hasn’t this anniversary been celebrated before?
The first biography of King Æthelstan didn’t appear until 2012.
Æthelstan never married nor had children. His memory and legacy, despite his profound impact on English and British history is overshadowed by monarchs like Alfred the Great and William the Conqueror. His name uses the now unfamiliar Old English character of ‘Æ’ which disappeared from modern English because of Norman scribes not using it. History is not only written by the victors but also uses their alphabet.
Æthelstan’s only memorial is at Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire where he was buried in 939AD. At Eamont Bridge, Cumbria, recognised as symbolising the ‘birthplace of England’, is without a formal monument.
How is English identity is changing and evolving?
Curiously, there is no record of any celebrations marking the 1,000th anniversary back in 1927, a time when the British Empire was the world’s pre‑eminent global power, commanding unmatched territorial reach, economic influence, and cultural impact, revealing a nation defining itself as British rather than English.
In 1966 football’s World Cup was held in England featuring a tournament mascot, ‘World Cup Willie’, a cartoon lion wearing a Union Jack waistcoat, indicating how Englishness was then equated with British identity.
Modern English identity has since evolved within a vacuum, with no serious discourse or investment to define, understand what it stands for within a British or European context. As a result, extremists seizing symbols of the identity, such as the St. George flag, creates toxic associations for an emblem and wider story that should be serving, and uniting the whole community.
We already have St. George’s Day, why do we need another day celebrating English identity?
Would you say to a Christian ‘You don’t need to celebrate Christmas - you already have Easter’?
St. George’s Day celebrates our patron Saint and England’s heritage. England’s birthday is an opportunity to celebrate an England of today and tomorrow, using inspiring lessons from its past, its beliefs and values, and the theme of togetherness, to go forward together as a confident, inclusive, and united country celebrating what we share in common.
The two date are authentic dates for commemoration. Given the scale of the task facing our country, of the need to build greater social cohesion and sense of togetherness, we need to make use of every precious opportunity to make a difference.
Is this a political campaign?
No. England Together: 1100 Years is designed as a non‑partisan civic initiative. It does not promote any political party. Its purpose is cultural and educational: to help people explore English identity in ways that are respectful, inclusive, and rooted in everyday life.
Why is the story of 927 AD relevant today?
The unification of England in 927 was not simply an act of conquest. It was a moment when rival cooperation was chosen over conflict, recognising that the future is stronger when shared. That lesson - unity through common purpose - resonates strongly today. The anniversary provides a historical anchor for conversations about belonging, coexistence, and the common good.
What will the campaign actually do?
The campaign makes an urgent call out for anyone who cares about their England, at a local or national level, to both celebrate the historic anniversary and in doing so, create a sustainable legacy for amore confident, and inclusive sense of shared national identity. The commemorative date needs to be harnessed not just as a celebration, or a totem for what is England today, but also used as a platform for encouraging ‘What kind of England do we want?’
England lacks the distinct England-only institutions, civic narratives, and policy frameworks that Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland developed after devolution, leaving Englishness treated as an unexamined ‘default’ rather than something requiring active stewardship
The campaign aims to spark a conversation and provide easy-to-do activities to encourage anyone who cares about the future of their community and country to do something and respond to a question that rarely, if ever, gets asked, ‘What does it mean to you to be English?’
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Discussions around national identity are complex, potentially divisive. How do you make it easy to engage with?
The ‘A very English chat’ campaign in the run up to this year’s St. George’s Day celebrations created an easy-to-engage way to start respectful conversations around English identity - with a simple request: asking people to share their five objects that tell their story of England, from the historically significant to the everyday.
It co-created with the English public a ‘pocket museum’ telling ‘The story of England in 50 objects’ which included items ranging from Stonehenge and Shakespeare to seaside windbreaks.
Using this simple way of engaging discussions, along with a Toolkit - all freely shared at its website www.averyEnglishchat.org.uk - enables anyone to start a conversation around England, Englishness, and being English and exploring what we have in common.
What’s the best way to get people to start thinking about, and engaging with others, on what England means to them
The ‘A very English chat’ campaign showed that people respond best to approaches that are:
- Playful and low‑pressure, rather than formal or academic.
- Personal, allowing individuals to express identity in their own words.
- Non‑judgemental, creating safe spaces for exploring Englishness through respectful conversations
- Locally and personally grounded, drawing on regional heritage and everyday life
A shared sense of affinity with an English national identity, needs to be driven from the bottom up while reinforced from the top-down through consistent national symbols, messages, and cultural confidence.
Why does England need a campaign like this?
Very few nations reach a 1100‑year milestone. England’s founding story is one of cooperation, shared purpose, and the forging of a common identity. It is not about defining Englishness from above but inviting people to explore it together.
Many people feel uncertain about what “English identity” means today. Discussions often become polarised or politicised. A campaign rooted in heritage, storytelling, and shared beliefs and values can help:
- Reduce division by focusing on what unites people.
- Provide a constructive narrative at a time of social strain
- Provide a platform for encouraging conversations, educational activties around ‘What kind of England do we want?’
In Northern Ireland July 12th is also commemorated as the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Will this be commemorated in the England Together: 1100 Years celebrations?
The two celebrations are entirely separate. England Together: 1100 Years is focussed on celebrating what brings people in England together. It highlights the need to invest in ensuring the celebration is rooted inclusive beliefs and values that unite people in England. Unless this is done, other voices could use the commemorative day to seed greater division.