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Our Heritage as Birthright
THE OMNISCIENT OXFORD English Dictionary defines “heritage” as “That which is or may be inherited,” or “A gift which constitutes a proper possession.” The gifts of Britain’s cultural history are a part of the inheritance of us all here in the former North American colonies.
Our British heritage, as it lends title to our magazine, is not merely a colorful past full of rich but unrelated stories. Rather our British heritage is a part of our common inheritance, or birthright. It is a centuries-long narrative of human challenge and triumph that largely defines what we are as a society today.
Nothing in recent years has served to punctuate the great cultural divide between the West and the Islamic world like the furor sparked by the now infamous cartoons of Mohammed, first published last autumn in Denmark. The Wise Ones of the world have their work cut out to successfully build bridges between our ancient civilizations with very different worldviews.
It serves us well at this time to recall the basic documents in Anglo-American cultural history that gradually enshrined for us the personal freedoms and political rights that we respect today as a part of our shared legacy. Certainly first among those is the Great Charter of 1215—Magna Carta.
There was a lot of ground to be covered between the document that King John was coerced into signing at Runnymede almost 800 years ago and the liberties of the Bill of Rights, however those liberties are codified across the English-speaking world. Still, Magna Carta established a tradition of rule by law that forms the basis of the British constitution and America’s own founding documents.
Political freedom and the organization of our civil society remain dynamic, of course, as the devolution of legislative authority to Scotland and Wales illustrates. This St. David’s Day saw the state opening of the Senedd—the new Cardiff home of the Welsh Assembly. The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall joined in a day of formalities and festivities in Cardiff with Welsh political leaders and crowds of Welsh celebrants. Congratulations, Wales! The occasion gives us good reason to celebrate Wales a bit in this issue of British Heritage.
Devolution has happened here at British Heritage as well. You may have noticed on the masthead that we are no longer a part of Primedia publications. As one of the History Group of magazines published here in Leesburg, we are now the Weider History Group. Back in Cardiff, the Welsh will find out that every dramatic organizational change brings exciting opportunities and challenges. So will we here at British Heritage. Our new publisher is innovative, entrepreneurial and enthusiastic. I have no doubt the magazine’s greatest days lie ahead.
In the meantime, once again, here is a British Heritage banquet to delight the senses, ennoble the mind, tickle the imagination and beguile the hours profitably. May it be to you like a welcome old friend.
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