Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·291 of 348
"The sun never sets on the British Empire."
They never said that.
What people say
"The sun never sets on the British Empire."
What was actually said
"First used of the Spanish Empire (16th century), borrowed for the British Empire in the 1800s." Attributed widely — Various — first verifiable use for Britain in Christopher North, Blackwood's Magazine, 1829
Why it stuck
Francisco de Quevedo used the phrase for Spain in 1620. The British Empire inherited the line, and later speakers have forgotten the Spanish original.
The phrase also appears briefly for the Holy Roman and Achaemenid empires.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.