OH MY GOD.
[H4]Papers show France asked Britain for union in 1956[/H4] By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - Rivalry between Britain and France dates back centuries and their relationship is regularly described as love-hate at best. But according to previously overlooked documents which have shocked historians, Paris and London were considering the unthinkable in the 1950s -- that the two countries could merge, and that the Queen could become France's head of state.
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A British government document dating from 1956 shows that on September 10 that year, then French Prime Minister Guy Mollet came to London to discuss the possibility of a merger between the two countries with British Prime Minister Anthony Eden.
Eden rejected the idea, but according to historical papers, gave positive consideration to Mollet's next suggestion -- that France should be allowed to join the Commonwealth -- a group of nations with historic ties to Britain. Commentators on both sides of the English channel were stunned by the documents. "It's a glorious example of how Britain and France are doomed or blessed to always be intermingled," former Europe Minister Denis MacShane told Reuters. "It's a lovely addition to the eternal entanglement." "The two countries' destinies have been linked ever since William the Conqueror tried to turn England into a French colony a thousand years ago."
A British government paper from 1956 reads: "When the French Prime Minister, Monsieur Mollet, was recently in London he raised with the Prime Minister the possibility of a union between the United Kingdom and France." A further document dated September 28, 1956 says Eden thought in the light of his talks with the French: "That we should give immediate consideration to France joining the Commonwealth; that Monsieur Mollet had not thought there need be difficulty over France accepting the headship of her Majesty; (and) that the French would welcome a common citizenship arrangement on the Irish basis." At the time of Mollet's proposals, France was suffering economic difficulties from dealing with separatists in Algeria and a growing crisis over control of the Suez canal.
Henri Soutou, a history professor at Sorbonne University in Paris, said the idea was "preposterous". "The idea of (France) joining the Commonwealth and accepting the headship of Her Majesty would not have gone down well," he told BBC radio. A spokeswoman for Britain's National Archive, which holds official papers, said the document lay unnoticed for many years. MacShane said the revelation showed the "best bits of history are its footnotes". He also predicted a similar love-hate future for the two nations. "France and England are like an old married couple who often think of killing each other, but would never dream of divorcing," he said.
