Lady Amelia Windsor (age 22)

Quote: JimRockford

I have to think it's in large part because we are of Great Britain. From Shakespeare and Dickens to Pink Floyd, Monty Python and Downton Abbey American and British culture are and have always been intertwined more than we admit.

It has more to do with the British Empire, and the British Commonwealth. to this day, the British monarch is the titular head of state of an awful lot of countries, including Canada. The monarch also names a Governor General for these countries. No other European royals, even in countries like Spain or Belgium where they still have official existence, has that kind of past or present influence.

Quote: Nareed

It has more to do with the British Empire, and the British Commonwealth. to this day, the British monarch is the titular head of state of an awful lot of countries, including Canada. The monarch also names a Governor General for these countries. No other European royals, even in countries like Spain or Belgium where they still have official existence, has that kind of past or present influence.

The Canadian government has named the Governor General with no input from the crown for a long time even though they are nominally the Queens representative. I don't know if this is true for other Commonwealth countries but expect it is.

Quote: Nareed

It has more to do with the British Empire, and the British Commonwealth. to this day, the British monarch is the titular head of state of an awful lot of countries, including Canada. The monarch also names a Governor General for these countries. No other European royals, even in countries like Spain or Belgium where they still have official existence, has that kind of past or present influence.

The US remains much closer to their colonial powers than Mexico. Even today 1/3 of European Air traffic goes to the UK and Ireland. Probably a higher percentage of American blood comes from Germany than the UK today, but travel to the UK is almost double that of Germany.

US/Europe Air travel by country
100.0% United Kingdom
56.7% Germany
37.7% France
25.3% Netherlands
21.2% Italy
20.7% Spain
18.5% Ireland
12.7% Iceland
12.3% Switzerland
5.7% Portugal
5.2% Denmark
4.7% Belgium

...

US/Europe Air travel by city
100.0% London, United Kingdom *
44.6% Paris, France *
41.6% Frankfurt, Germany *
30.4% Amsterdam, Netherlands *
18.9% Dublin, Ireland
16.0% Rome, Italy *
15.3% Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland
15.1% Madrid, Spain *
14.1% Munich, Germany *
12.7% Zurich, Switzerland
12.0% Manchester, United Kingdom
9.2% Barcelona, Spain
6.7% Dusseldorf, Germany
6.3% Copenhagen, Denmark
5.6% Brussels, Belgium
5.4% Lisbon, Portugal
5.4% Milan, Italy
4.2% Stockholm, Sweden
...


Mexico City has nonstops to only 7 European airports in 6 countries:
London, Madrid, Frankfurt + Munich, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam. (also starred in order of popularity for US destinations):
Except for Dublin and Reykjavik the top 7 from Mexico City are the same as from the USA.

Cancun has nonstops (some seasonal) to 18 European airports, in 9 countries. The same 6 countries as Mexico City + Portugal, Switzerland, and Belgium.
There are no other European flights from any other city in Mexico.

British Flights to Mexico actually outnumber flights from Spain
2016 Llegadas Vía Aérea de Visitantes Internacionales a México según país de Residencia

514 Reino Unido
277 España
230 Alemania
197 Francia
139 Italia
54 Países Bajos (Holanda)
Fuente: Unidad de Política Migratoria, SEGOB

In recent decades Spain invests a lot of money in Mexico, but the long period in the 19th century where UK became the most powerful nation in the world was not matched by Spain.Spain dwindled to a minor power in Europe. So Mexico did not maintain the strong business and cultural ties with Spain, like the US did with UK.

Quote: kenarman

The Canadian government has named the Governor General with no input from the crown for a long time even though they are nominally the Queens representative. I don't know if this is true for other Commonwealth countries but expect it is.

The Queen is the head of state really in name only. The Governor General will be nominated and the queen will rubber stamp it. The reality is that these countries (Australia being one as well) govern themselves.

Quote: Wizard

Ah, I must confess I've never read Alice in Wonderland. At first I thought that second line was "Christopher Robin went down on Alice."

It's a natural mistake, because if you think about it, you almost never see that phrasal verb used in that context where the word "down" is essentially meaningless. The dictionary list "come down with" as a synonym for "went down with".

Synonyms for "went down with"
common synonyms
acquire
decline
develop
obtain
weaken
cause
disorder
fall
get
sink
take
upset
less common synonyms
incur
afflict
derange
indispose
induce
sicken
be afflicted with
be ill with
become infected with
bring on
come down with
fall victim to
go down with
succumb to

Quote: Aussie

The Queen is the head of state really in name only. The Governor General will be nominated and the queen will rubber stamp it. The reality is that these countries (Australia being one as well) govern themselves.

And even as far back as 1914, Britain had to wait for Canada, never mind Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, to actually declare war on the Central Powers, before they could make use of troops from those countries.

But think about it. What interest did Canada et al have in a European war? Other than deep ties to Britain, that is.

Quote: Pacomartin

In recent decades Spain invests a lot of money in Mexico, but the long period in the 19th century where UK became the most powerful nation in the world was not matched by Spain.Spain dwindled to a minor power in Europe. So Mexico did not maintain the strong business and cultural ties with Spain, like the US did with UK.

Ties between Spain and Mexico are due to Paco Franco. So many Spaniards fled Spain then, and many wound up in Mexico. Some returned later, most didn't. But the ties were thereafter in place.

After the civil war, Britain was concerned that US would try and take over Canada (with valid reason). Parliament reasoned that if Canada became an independent nation that USA would respect their boundaries.

But with the old generation gone, relationships with Britain improved dramatically. The visit of the 18 year old Prince of Wales was a huge success, and most of the fascination with the British royal family began at this time.


As USA entered it's industrial age, visits to Britain became more common.

Quote: Nareed

Ties between Spain and Mexico are due to Franco.

So the US links back with Britain are more than a century older than Mexico's with Spain.

Air traffic strictly from Mexico City (and not the entire country)(includes traffic in both directions)
680,103 Madrid, Spain Aeroméxico, Iberia
484,935 Paris-Charles de Gaulle, France Aeroméxico, Air France
307,348 Amsterdam, Netherlands Aeroméxico, KLM
277,568 London-Heathrow, UK Aeroméxico, British Airways
222,928 Frankfurt, Germany Lufthansa

Madrid is only slightly ahead of Paris , but nationwide the number of British tourists makes Britain the most linked European country to Mexico by air travel. While Cancun is very popular with Brits, they also have charters to Puerto Vallarta and to Huatulco.

Quote: Pacomartin

But with the old generation gone, relationships with Britain improved dramatically. The visit of the 18 year old Prince of Wales was a huge success, and most of the fascination with the British royal family began at this time.

His visit was a huge deal because of
all the new rich in NYC. It started
the wave of rich Americans looking
for down on their luck royalty in
Europe to marry their daughters
off to.

I'm reading the book the Julian Fellows
read that gave him the idea for
Downton Abby. It's a history of all
the debutantes that married into
EU titles. It's really fascinating stuff.
Americans craved acceptance into
that realm of society and money
alone couldn't buy it. But you're
in like Flint if your daughter is
now a countess married to a Brit
duke.

Quote: Pacomartin

After the civil war, Britain was concerned that US would try and take over Canada (with valid reason).

After the Civil War? Why then? After the Revolution, I can see it.