With all the wonders in the Neath, it is easy to not dwell on the affairs of the Surface. But I’m gripped with curiosity:
If one were to walk the site where London used to sit, what would one find? An empty field? A crater? And who governs the rest of the United Kingdom? Did its mighty Empire collapse in a wave of uprisings when the Fifth City fell, or are its countries and provinces governed still by some new body - in Manchester perhaps?
Pure speculation on my part, but I would say that Slough is now beach-front property. In my headcanon, the coastal area that was once between London and the z̶e̶e̶ sea landed in chunks to comprise the islands.
On the matter of governance, this was the conversation the last time this came up. I tend to think the Empire remains intact or the Great Game would be spending time trying to reclaim errant former colonies instead of focusing farther afield.
Whilst it must be inconvenient to have your Capital in the Neath, ruling over distant colonies is nothing new to the British Empire. I’m sure the same system of delegation that allowed for the administration of 1/4 of the World’s land enables Ministers to lead England in the absence of the Monarch.
edited by blader4411 on 11/27/2014
[quote=blader4411]Whilst it must be inconvenient to have your Capital in the Neath, ruling over distant colonies is nothing new to the British Empire. I’m sure the same system of delegation that allowed for the administration of 1/4 of the World’s land enables Ministers to lead England in the absence of the Monarch.
edited by blader4411 on 11/27/2014[/quote]
That, and it’s not like instant long-distance communication was impossible in 1891. Telegraphs have been around for decades, and even the telephone is a thing (the Boston-New York landline is only a year away). I could imagine some brave souls trying to run a telegraph wire up to the surface for government use.
I think I speak for a great deal of 1880’s Irishmen when I express hope that the British Empire doesn’t keep her hold on all foreign territories. I’d say that Parnell’s affair would take a backseat if he had managed to extract Éire from HRM’s realm.