The King's shilling, sometimes called the Queen's shilling when the Sovereign is female,[1] is a historical slang term referring to the earnest payment of one shilling given to recruits to the armed forces of the United Kingdom in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, although the practice dates back to the end of the English Civil War.[2][3] To "take the King's shilling" was to agree to serve as a sailor or soldier in the Royal Navy or the British Army.[3] It is closely related to the act of impressment.[4] The practice officially stopped in 1879, although the term is still used informally and there are some cases of it being used still in the early 20th century, albeit largely symbolically.[5][6]
- ^ "Queen's shilling". Collins English Dictionary. 2011-10-26. Archived from the original on 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ BBC Radio 4 (20 May 2003). Making History (Radio broadcast). 23 minutes in. Retrieved 2014-05-18.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "The King's Shilling". BBC History - Fact files. BBC. 2005-01-28. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
- ^ Paul Gooddy. "The Impress Service". Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-13.
- ^ "Making History". BBC Beyond the Broadcast. Archived from the original on 2005-03-15.
- ^ Imperial War Museum Sound Archive, Pvt Frank Proctor, Reel 1, CAT16801