United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (イギリス), commonly known as the UK or Britain (ブリテン) and officially The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.

Most Magic side characters reside in England as part of the Anglican Church, most specifically, the home of Index. It is ruled by Queen Elizard as its monarch.

Background
In the real world, the Kingdom of Great Britain, described occasionally as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, which existed from 1707 to 1801. On 1 January 1801, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland united to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland left the union as the Irish Free State in 1922, leading to the remaining state being renamed as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1927.

In the world of Toaru Majutsu no Index, the creation of the United Kingdom is closely tied with the history of the Curtana Original. King Henry VIII wanting freedom from the influence of other countries and the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in the governance of his own country created the Anglican Church. In order to get rid of all external influence, he proclaimed that the country would never be violated by foreign influences and made the king (monarch) the Head of the Anglican Church. He established that the king of the Anglican Church is the leader of the angels as it was a position higher than the Pope, and that the Knights as an army of angels. To do this, Henry VIII made use of the nations of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales for his "All-English Land", four representing the element of earth, in order to construct that magical meaning.

Curtana Original represents the position the monarchs have using this magical symbolism, empowering them with the same type of power that Archangel Michael, the leader of angels, possesses, and partly empowering the knights as well. The Curtana Original, originally the sword that decided who the King of England would be thereon became the sword that determined who England's leader of the angel was.

In consequence, however, the symbolism of the monarchs being the leader of the angels and the knights their army of angels, and the blessings that the Curtana Original can give, could only apply within the boundaries of the country, using a United Kingdom mobile fortress as a loophole notwithstanding, and the fact that the "All-English Land" requires all four nations as part of one country. Indeed, the constant conquests of the other nations likely stem from the fact to maintain this magical symbolism. Henry VIII himself had trouble with the independent Scotland as he waged war with the nation. Later, Ireland would later declare independence, leaving only Northern Ireland part of the "All-English Land", allowing for the symbolism to keep working.

The state would later use the Union Jack as its flag, combining the elements of the Flags of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The Union Jack spiritual item has the Flag of Wales on the other side.

The United Kingdom is also linked to over forty smaller nations around the world which it once ruled, referred to as the "pound economy".

England
England (イングランド) is one of the four nations making up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The capital city of England, and the United Kingdom, is London.

Considered a highly magical nation, much of the story that focuses on the United Kingdom focuses primarily focuses in England.

Scotland
Scotland (スコットランド) is a nation in the United Kingdom. It shares a border with England to the south, and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the south-west. The capital city of Scotland is Edinburgh.

Special focus is given to Edinburgh, as it contained not only the resting place of the Curtana Original after being lost in the, but also the tomb of Carissa where she intends to be interred along with the Curtana Original after establishing herself as a tyrant in the United Kingdom to protect it from its enemies. New Light also have bases in Edinburgh.

Scotland has historically been divided in the regions of the and the, denizens of the latter being referred to as Highlanders (ハイランダー).

Government and Politics
The country has an established power balance between the three factions of the British Royal Family, the Anglican Church, and the Knights. A balance is maintained through the system where the Royal Family leads the country, the knights maintain the order, and the church deals with foreign affairs that cannot be concluded normally due to cultural differences. Despite the massive influence the three factions have, there is a Parliament and the country still has a parliamentary government, though the British Royal Family has control over it, as well as the police and number of other related agencies and they are taking the needed effort to keep them running.

Heads

 * Queen Elizard - Leads the British Royal Family, and is the Queen of the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth.
 * Dion Fortune - Archbishop of Anglican Church and head of Necessarius.
 * Knight Leader - Head of the English Knights.

Europe
With the rest of mainland Europe under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the United Kingdom has a difficult relationship with is European neighbors. During the Princess Villian hostage crisis perpetrated by the Spanish Astrological Sect, France made a declaration that they would resolve the battle near the Strait of Dover telling England not to worry. The meaning behind is that the Knights of England or England itself cannot act or intervene if the battle itself does not reach England. The narration references a "deal" regarding Villian stuck in the Strait of Dover near France, which likely implies that France made a deal with England regarding the handling of the crisis. France would later do battle against the sect, and its aftermath can be seen from the British side by the time William Orwell decided to act.

Several years prior to the British Halloween, with the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, the European Union adopts a treaty that specifically banned the weapons the country has been developing. The country's nuclear weapons were banned, while France, not only being able to keep their nuclear weapons intact but had received all of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons under the treaty. The official reason given was because as France would be the sole possessor of nuclear weapons within the EU they would therefore have the technology needed to safely disassemble them. Moreover, this also includes the Bunker Cluster warheads, though that didn't stop the country from continuing its development. This severely weakens the military prowess of the country and as a show by the EU being capable of provoking the country with impunity. This treaty was taken in stride by Elizard, though people like Carissa had a problem with this.

Tensions between the United Kingdom and the European Union, especially France, would come to the boiling point in the preceding weeks before World War III due to the country's good relationship with Academy City, during the British Halloween, where under Carissa's coup, she not only provokes France but actually attacked it. After World War III, their previous hostility towards each other would later cool down as a new enemy that could threaten the entire world appears,.

Pound Economy nations
The nations of the "pound economy" are countries which used to be ruled by England and are still affiliated with them. Despite their independence, people like Aili Hexenphobia and Emilie Fordia chafed under the United Kingdom's influence and usage of their ley lines. Despite their failed attempt at destroying London's magical foundations in the September of the story's first year, Elizard was willing to assist the nations in rebuilding their magical foundations after they were accidentally destroyed in place of London's.

Academy City
The United Kingdom receives the good nature of Academy City by proxy of their alliance with the Anglican Church. The United Kingdom in turn is allied with the Academy City, and before the end of World War III, shared a common enemy, the Roman Catholic Church. The United Kingdom makes use of technology borrowed from Academy City for one of their Royal Air Force transport planes, as well as it being one of the two countries, the other being the United States of America, that were asked by the country for aid during the economic trouble that occurred after the Eurotunnel bombing.

Toaru Majutsu no Index
In the early volumes, England only has the relevance of being the Necessarius' base. The first time it is shown in the setting is during Orsola's rescue when Stiyl and Laura Stuart are talking of the implications of Orsola being able to decode the Book of Law.

Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume SS2
On the Second Friday of October, Misaka 17000 was one of the Sisters sent to Gemstone Mining research organizations around the world. She was sent to Galashiels, UK, at the Higher Contact Society, to destroy the facilities and rescue the gemstone there. During her periodic progress report, she reported that she had suppressed the fourth, eighth, and thirteenth domes of the facility.

Toaru Majutsu no Index SS: Necessarius Special Admission Test
England is the setting for the events concerning the Amakusas admission test to Necessarius and several overlapping schemes by several different factions, including a plot by the magic cabal Dusk Waiting to Awaken to steal the Necronomicon and raise R'lyeh in the Strait of Dover to obtain data to construct a spell at Stonehenge, a plot by the "pound economy" to destroy London's magical foundation and free themselves from England, and a plot by a third party using both of these for their own ends.

British Royal Family Arc
The United Kingdom, primarily England, is the setting for Carissa and the Knights' coup, known as the British Halloween, where the whole country goes under the heel of the knights, taking over government institutions as well as magical ones owned by the Anglican Church. In a matter of a few hours however the coup is crushed in the Battle of Buckingham Palace.

World War III Arc
The United States of America, allied with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and part of the science-side, takes part in the War, but their contributions are largely overshadowed during the event, due to to Academy City's overwhelming technological superiority.

Magic God Othinus Arc
The United Kingdom, represented by Elizard, joins its fellow former enemy nations in an Anti- Alliance that hoped to stop and Othinus. Later, the country would join in the manhunt for Othinus and Kamijou Touma. Elizard would later give a speech to her people regarding their choice in letting Touma and Othinus go after the events of the arc.

Aleister Crowley Arc
On December 11th, the United Kingdom and the members of the British Commonwealth came under attack from Aleister Crowley's manifested alternate selves.

Christmas Day Arc
On Christmas Day, the United Kingdom was experiencing the effects of R&C Occultics, with at least one incident in London - a failed attack on the London Stock Exchange by George Close, one of Anna Sprengel's collaborators who ended up destroying himself with his own learned magic, as she had planned.

The locations listed below are locations which have been featured or referenced in some form within the series.

Known Characters from the United Kingdom
List does not include naturalized citizens

Trivia

 * While in real life the UK possesses nuclear weapons, as one of the nations allowed to have them under the, one of the points of divergence the Toaru Majutsu no Index universe has with our own is that it does not there.