When Britain went to sleep on September 2 and woke up 11 days later

Sep 2 2026

Nearly 300 years ago, on this day, Britain and its colonies experienced a bizarre loss of time when they skipped 11 days overnight. The country, along with its colonies, including India, went to sleep on September 2 and woke up on September 14 in the year 1752.

Britain jumped 11 days ahead due to a change in the calendar system.

How did this happen? Did a whole bloc of nations go into a deep slumber for 11 days? Well, no, that would be very spooky.

As bizarre as it sounds, the reason behind the loss of 11 days was deceptively ordinary. Britain jumped 11 days ahead due to a change in the system of calculating days, weeks and months in a year.

In 1752, Britain decided to implement the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750 and switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which is followed globally till date, according to information widely available on the internet.

Due to this change in the calendar system, September 2 was followed by September 14, effectively removing 11 dates.

When did countries switch to Gregorian calendar

With this switch in calendar system, Britain and its colonies fell into line with Western Europe. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Poland were among the first nations to adopt the new calendar in 1582. Turkey became the last country to officially adopt the Gregorian calendar, much later on January 1, 1927.

(and moar)

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/when-britain-went-to-sleep-on-september-2-and-woke-up-11-days-later-101788340665671.html

The beginning of the end of the Empire?

Antigua and Barbuda drops allegiance to King Charles just weeks before royal visit

Aug 30 2026

Antigua and Barbuda drops allegiance to King Charles just weeks before royal visit.

Sir Steadroy Benjamin, the country's attorney general, declared at the time of the law's passage that the reform was long overdue.

"We will once and for all finally not be swearing to His Majesty in England, his heirs and successors in England," he said.

https://www.gbnews.com/royal/royal-news-antigua-barbuda-drops-oath-allegiance-king-monarch-royal-visit

And, there is moar…

Now Grenada drops oath of allegiance to King Charles as Commonwealth countries continue push to remove British monarchy as head of state

Grenada has dropped the oath of allegiance to King Charles III as Commonwealth countries continue to look at removing the British monarch as their sovereign.

State officials on the island, commonly known as the 'Spice Isle', will no longer take the oath to the King or his successors and instead make it to Grenada itself.

The change was brought in last Friday as Caribbean nations marked Emancipation Day, the anniversary of slavery being abolished in the British Empire in 1834.

Grenada's Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said in 2023 that he wanted the nation to become a republic and remove Britain's monarch as its head of state.

The Constitution (Oath of Allegiance) (Amendment) (No. 1) Bill 2025 made the oath 'Grenada' instead of 'His Majesty King Charles the Third, His Heirs and Successors'.

https://www.dailymail.com/news/royals/article-14979139/Grenada-drops-oath-allegiance-King-Charles-Caribbean-countries.html

>>24999197

New Zealand also has a problem with the oath to King Charles.

‘Charles’ or ‘skin rash’? Māori MPs’ oath of allegiance to king sparks translation debate

Māori party MPs have departed from the traditional oath of allegiance to King Charles III at the opening of New Zealand’s 54th parliament, sparking a debate about whether the Māori word they used to describe him meant “Charles” or “skin rash”.

As part of the formalities to open parliament, MPs must swear allegiance to New Zealand’s head of state, something Te Pāti Māori, a Māori political party, has long protested against. MPs can say the oath in either English or Te reo Māori.

During Tuesday’s opening of parliament, three MPs from Te Pāti Māori traded “Kīngi Tiāre,” the official reference to the king in the oath if spoken in Māori, for “Kīngi harehare.”

The website Māori Dictionary refers to “Tiāre” as “Charles” and “harehare” as a “skin rash” and “sore” among other skin conditions as well as something “offensive” or “objectionable”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/05/new-zealand-parliament-maori-tribute-king-charles-translation-issue-te-pati-maori-skin-rash