`Bastin8, please refrain from being rude.  Your tone of voice is that of ``the superior``, and I do not care for it.  The Times online webpage does not constitute a checkable reference.  The whole premise of this Wikipedia article Kingdom of Great Britain is completely unsupported.  The Act of Union 1707 contains the text United Kingdom of Great Britain, and it is repeated several times in the Act.   The arguement that you support (i.e., the Capitalisation is meaningless) can result in either (i)., or (iii)., as listed below,  (i). united kingdom of Great Britain,   (ii). united Kingdom of Great Britain,   (iii). United Kingdom of Great Britain,   whereas if one takes the Act of Union 1707 at face value, then (iii). (i.e.,United Kingdom of Great Britain ) is the long form name of the country founded in 1707.  The majority of the public knows it under this name (i.e., (iii).).      `