There are limits to how much that can happen in Poul Anderson's Technic History. A Merseian or an Ythrian cannot look like a human being or vice versa. And even human beings living for generations in different planetary environments are going to look, behave and speak more and more differently over time. In fact, they are going to cease to be human which is what happens in the very last instalment of the Technic History when not only is Technic civilization long gone but also Anglic has become a long dead language.
I must try to finish reading the Gardner novel this evening. Tomorrow, there will be two kinds of Coronation parties: most pro-; a few anti-.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
At least, when someone proposes the Loyal Toast in Lancaster, you won't hear what I thought was very odd, when Elizabeth II was alive: "To our sovereign lady the DUKE"! Not as I thought would be natural, "Duchess."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
The Queen was Duke of Lancaster, (still) Duke of Normandy and Lord of (the Isle of) Man because, as Monarch, she had to have the highest titles and "Duke" and "Lord" are considered higher than "Duchess" or "Lady."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I'm still a bit bemused! And I don't think I knew Elizabeth II was LORD of the Isle of Man!
I did know the Channel Islands is the last remnant of the Duchy of Normandy still held by the British sovereign.
Another oddity is that both Man and the Channel Islands are not, strictly speaking, parts of the UK.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Yes and the Channel Islands are the last link to the title, "Duke of Normandy."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And it was one of the terms of the Peace of Amiens with Napoleon in 1801 that the British would stop claiming their king was also King of France, and stop quartering the arms of France with those of Great Britain.
A long, long since HOLLOW claim, but still irritating to the French!
Ad astra! Sean
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