--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the end it may well be that Britain…" description: "\"In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an empire than for the way in which she acqui..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg" --- # In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by… ![“In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an empire than for the way in which she acquired it.” quote by David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg) > “In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an empire than for the way in which she acquired it.” [David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain may be remembered more for how it ended its empire than how it built it. **In simple terms:** Legacy often defined by decline, not rise. Key Takeaway Consider the impact of endings. Themes history imperialism legacy politics Mood reflective critical Type Britain:1 Empires:1 Ends:0 Historian:0 History:1 Honored:0 May:0 Way:0 Wells:0 Disposed Empire:0 Historians Way:0 Britain Honored:0 End Britain:0 Honored Historians:0 When to use this quote - academic debate - policy making - public discourse Key Concepts colonial studies national identity historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What are the moral implications of empire? - How do societies reconcile past power with present values? A Different Perspective The view may ignore positive achievements of empire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Britain Honored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain-honored-1028368/) [Disposed Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disposed-empire-1028366/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [End Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-britain-1028369/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Historian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historian/) [Historians Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historians-way-1028367/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Honored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honored/) [Honored Historians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honored-historians-1028370/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Britain will be honoured by historians more for the way she disposed of an empire than for the way in which she acquired it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-harlech/britain-will-be-honoured-by-historians-more-for-the-way-she-disposed/) [Lord Harlech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-harlech/) > [Britain's continuing membership of the Community would mean the end of Britain as a completely self-governing nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/britain-s-continuing-membership-of-the-community-would-mean-the-end/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [It does mean, if this is the idea, the end of Britain as an independent European state...it means the end of a thousand years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-gaitskell/it-does-mean-if-this-is-the-idea-the-end-of-britain-as-an-independent/) [Hugh Gaitskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-gaitskell/) > [Having your work honored nationally is a great morale booster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-gilchrist/having-your-work-honored-nationally-is-a-great-morale-booster/) [Ellen Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-gilchrist/) > [Man and woman and speech and deed and city and object should be honored with praise if praiseworthy and incur blame if unworthy, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gorgias/man-and-woman-and-speech-and-deed-and-city-and-object-should-be/) [Gorgias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gorgias/) > [What is commonly honored with the name of Friendship is no very profound or powerful instinct. Men do not, after all, love their Friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-commonly-honored-with-the-name-of-friendship-is-no-very/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What is sin? It is the glory of God not honored. The holiness of God not reverenced. The greatness of God not admired. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/what-is-sin-it-is-the-glory-of-god-not-honored-the-holiness-of-god/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [I'm honored to be at the side of Michele Bachmann. She is a great congresswoman. She is a great human being, and she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-voight/i-m-honored-to-be-at-the-side-of-michele-bachmann-she-is-a-great/) [Jon Voight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-voight/) > [The way a culture treats women in birth is a good indicator of how well women and their contributions to society are valued and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-may-gaskin/the-way-a-culture-treats-women-in-birth-is-a-good-indicator-of-how/) [Ina May Gaskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-may-gaskin/) > [Faith is loved and honored by God more than any other single thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/faith-is-loved-and-honored-by-god-more-than-any-other-single-thing/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [I see the main problem of my life, and indeed anybody's life, as the balancing of competitive freedoms ... a sense of mutual obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/i-see-the-main-problem-of-my-life-and-indeed-anybody-s-life-as-the/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [The clatter of a changing world is not pleasant, and those who have enjoyed the comforts and protection of the old order may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/the-clatter-of-a-changing-world-is-not-pleasant-and-those-who-have/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [For me to be here to present this to the greatest sportsmen of all time, I feel particularly honored. This absolutely is a highlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/for-me-to-be-here-to-present-this-to-the-greatest-sportsmen-of-all/) [David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/) > [I am both humbled and honored to receive the Honda Sports Award for women's basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittney-griner/i-am-both-humbled-and-honored-to-receive-the-honda-sports-award-for/) [Brittney Griner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittney-griner/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) ## More by David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech > [The notion dies hard that in some sort of way exports are patriotic but imports are immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/the-notion-dies-hard-that-in-some-sort-of-way-exports-are-patriotic/) [David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/) [Explore all 2 David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/) ## More Britain quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [In Britain, the press want to kill a show by revealing what's coming up and spoiling the pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/in-britain-the-press-want-to-kill-a-show-by-revealing-what-s-coming/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [If we don't like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/if-we-don-t-like-modern-britain-then-it-is-very-unlikely-that-modern/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Britain has the IRA and no one cancels concerts there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-osbourne/britain-has-the-ira-and-no-one-cancels-concerts-there/) [Sharon Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-osbourne/) > [The establishment in Britain is certainly against the arts and against education. If something doesn't make a profit, it's invalid, and art doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maxwell-davies/the-establishment-in-britain-is-certainly-against-the-arts-and/) [Peter Maxwell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maxwell-davies/) > [We from every religion feel comfortable in Britain because there is a host. The Church of England is a good host, it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/we-from-every-religion-feel-comfortable-in-britain-because-there-is-a/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [ As for whether what happened in Britain improves\[Donald\] Trump's chances of winning, I don't think so. He has the same chances; we may just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/as-for-whether-what-happened-in-britain-improves-donald-trump-s/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [Germany has always stood for an E.U. of the 27 countries. But in light of Britain's continued resistance to further integration steps, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/germany-has-always-stood-for-an-e-u-of-the-27-countries-but-in-light/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) [Browse all 1,648 Britain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an empire than for the way in which she acquired it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-will-be-honored-by-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Britain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-will-be-honored-by-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ca/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-ha_britain_in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-w_80525.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the end it may well be that Britain will be honored by the historians more for the way she disposed of an…” — David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the end it may well...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-will-be-honored-by-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ormsby-gore-5th-baron-harlech/in-the-end-it-may-well-be-that-britain-will-be-honored-by-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```