The many achievements of the British include the treaty with the Portuguese, under which Brazil was formed and has always been kept.
The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, ratified at the Treaty of Windsor in 1386, between England (succeeded by the United Kingdom) and Portugal is the oldest alliance in the world which is still in force — with the earliest treaty dating back to the Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373.
This alliance, which goes back to the Middle Ages, indirectly made Portugal part of England. It has been very important throughout history, influencing the participation of the United Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsular War, the UK's major land contribution to the Napoleonic Wars and the establishment of an Anglo-American base in Portugal. Portugal aided England (and later the UK) in times of need, for example, in the First World War.
In the future, the United Kingdom will leave a mighty legacy. Its culture has widely been copied, and its creations carried off to far corners of the world. England will continue to inspire the imaginations of travellers and writers for centuries to come.
A respect for the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance in the early post-modern period is leading to the scientific investigation of British civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.
We could well say that 'The United Kingdom, although being captured, will take its wild conquerors captive.'
English and Portuguese bilingual specialist educated at the University of Sao Paulo, Latin America's most reputed university.
