Shakespeare wrote:

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,

But perhaps things have changed!

I read today: "England, once famed for its high culture and good manners, has been dismissed in a new travel guide as home to "overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts".

The 'Rough Guide to England', which is published around the world, says that the English have become obsessed with "C-list celebrities and toffs".

Visitors are warned that they will never fully understand what drives the country, or defines it as a nation.

As well as a fascination with celebrities, England is also characterised by tea-drinking charity donors who love animals and listen to Radio 4, it notes.

"Of the two hundred-plus destinations across the world that Rough Guide covers, there is none so fascinating, beautiful and culturally diverse, yet as insular, self-important and irritating, as England," says the guide, which was written by four British travel writers.

It claims that the country has been scarred by the London bombings and the war in Iraq, making it a "querulous, quarrelsome country" that may be suffering a national identity crisis.

It notes that we all have views on issues such as politics, crime and immigration, but are also voracious consumers of "celebrity chit-chat".

The guide says: "As a glance at the tabloid newspapers will confirm, England is a nation of overweight, binge-drinking reality TV addicts.

"But it's also a country of animal-loving, tea-drinking, charity donors, where queuing remains a national pastime and bastions of civilisation, such as Radio 4, are jealously protected. It's a nation that prides itself on its patriotism – yet has a Scottish prime minister, an Italian football coach and a Greek royal consort.

"Ask any English person to comment on all of this and you'll get an entertaining range of views. Try to make sense of these, and the resulting picture might suggest something akin to a national identity crisis."

The guide also highlights the gap between rich and poor, and our increasing use of anti-depressants despite a wealth of material goods.

"As never before, the English have become obedient consumers rather than active citizens, with brand loyalty the nearest thing to religious/spiritual belief," it says.

A spokesman for Visit Britain said: "People should not take these comments seriously. The comments demonstrate the quirkiness of the English personality that is so attractive to many visitors."

(Daily Telegraph)