Grand Fenwick
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The
Duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once exis ...
of Grand Fenwick is a tiny
fictional country A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof. Sailors have always mistaken low clouds for land masses, and in later times this was given ...
created by
Leonard Wibberley Leonard Patrick O'Connor Wibberley (9 April 1915 – 22 November 1983), who also published under the name Patrick O'Connor, among others, was an Irish author who spent most of his life in the United States. Wibberley, who published more than 100 ...
in a series of
comedic novel A comic novel is a novel-length work of humorous fiction. Many well-known authors have written comic novels, including P. G. Wodehouse, Henry Fielding, Mark Twain, and John Kennedy Toole. Comic novels are often defined by the author's literary ...
s beginning with ''
The Mouse That Roared ''The Mouse That Roared'' is a 1955 satirical novel by Irish-American writer Leonard Wibberley, which launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary country in Europe called the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Wibberley used the premise to mak ...
'' (1955), which was made into a 1959 film. In the novels, Wibberley goes beyond the merely comic, placing the tiny nation (15 square miles/39 square kilometres) in absurd situations so as to comment satirically on contemporary politics and events.


History and topography

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick is described as no more than five miles (8 km) long and three miles (5 km) wide and lies in a fold in the Northern Alps. The imaginary country features three valleys, a river, and a mountain with an elevation of . On the northern slopes are of vineyards. The hillsides where the ground is less fertile support flocks of sheep that provide meat, dairy products, and wool. Most of the inhabitants live in the City of Fenwick, which is clustered around Fenwick Castle, the seat of government. The city of Fenwick is also home to the only bar/inn/restaurant in the country, the Gray Goose Pub. About 2 miles (3 km) from the City of Fenwick is a Forest Preserve that features a 20-foot (6.1 m) waterfall and attracts many birds that the nation claims as its own native birds.Wibberley, Leonard (1955). ''The Mouse That Roared'' There is a tiny monastery on the border of the forest which also houses the school. The Duchy takes its name from its founder, the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
Sir Roger Fenwick who, while employed by France, settled there with his followers in 1370. Thanks to Sir Roger, the national language is
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
. The Duchy, ruled by the Duchess Gloriana XII, is described as bordering
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the
Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
. Internal evidence points to the Duchy being in the
Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...
region in eastern France, near (or on top of) Les Gras. It retains a
pre-industrial Pre-industrial society refers to social attributes and forums of political and cultural organization that were prevalent before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, which occurred from 1750 to 1850. ''Pre-industrial'' refers to a time before ...
economy, based almost entirely on clipping wool and pressing
Pinot Pinot may refer to: *Pinot (grape), a grape family *Pinot (surname) *Pinot (restaurant), a restaurant by chef Joachim Splichal See also *Pino (disambiguation) Pino or Piño may refer to: People * Danny Pino (born 1974), American actor * Domeni ...
Grand Fenwick wine. However, in the fourth book of the Mouse series, there are two cars in Grand Fenwick, a 1947 Daimler belonging to the Duchess Gloriana, and the other, a 1927 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, belonging to the Count of Mountjoy. There is only one
petrol station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoline ...
, which is also the bicycle shop. Aside from these examples, there is no modern technology in the Duchy. The Duchy has a postal service, although mail going outside the Duchy has to be sent to
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
.


Government

The Duchy of Grand Fenwick is a monarchy led by the Duchess
Gloriana ''Gloriana'', Op. 53, is an opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten to an English libretto by William Plomer, based on Lytton Strachey's 1928 ''Elizabeth and Essex: A Tragic History''. The first performance was presented at the Royal Opera Hous ...
XII. In the novel ''The Mouse That Roared'', she is a young woman of twenty-two, and marries Tully Bascomb. In ''The Mouse on the Moon'' and ''The Mouse on Wall Street'', she is in her mid-thirties. In ''The Mouse That Saved the West'', she is forty-two, and Tully has been dead for some time. In the 1959 film version, she is a parody of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
who is still wearing mourning for her husband, Prince Louis of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who has been "missing" from a tiger hunt for 27 years. In the film, she thinks the President of the United States is
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
, and she owns the only motorcar in the Duchy–a 1920s' hand-cranked model. This is not so in the original books. It is not known whether she has any children. The lower House of the Duchy's Parliament, The Council of Freemen, is democratically elected. In "The Mouse on Wall Street" an upper House of Parliament, akin to the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, is mentioned to exist. The nation has two political parties, the Dilutionists (or Her Grace's Loyal Opposition), led by David Bentner, and the Anti-Dilutionists, led by Count Mountjoy, the Prime Minister. The names of the parties reflect their positions on whether to dilute the wine exports of the Duchy. The positions of leadership are
hereditary Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...
. In "The Mouse on Wall Street", the Dilutionists are also referred to as the Labor Party.


National flag

A
double-headed eagle In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge (heraldry), charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantin ...
saying "Aye" from one beak and "Nay" from another. Sir Roger recorded that he only learned three things in his two years at
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
: # That "Aye" might be turned into "Nay" and vice versa if a sufficient quantity of wordage was applied to the matter. # In any argument the victor is always right. # Though
the pen is mightier than the sword "The pen is mightier than the sword" is a metonymic adage, created by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, indicating that the written word is more effective than violence as a means of social or political change. Under some interpretati ...
, the sword speaks louder and stronger at any given moment.


Defence forces

The Grand Fenwick Expeditionary Force consists of 20 bowmen selected from 700 in the Duchy and three
men-at-arms A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a knig ...
selected from 20 who have the right to carry spear and mace. They are clad in
mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...
and armed with
longbows A longbow (known as warbow in its time, in contrast to a hunting bow) is a type of tall bow that makes a fairly long draw possible. A longbow is not significantly recurved. Its limbs are relatively narrow and are circular or D-shaped in cross ...
. They are led by
Forester A forester is a person who practises forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to ...
Tully Bascomb, appointed
High Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
, and
Serjeant-at-Arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...
Will Buckley (who had World War II experience with the British Army). In ''Beware of the Mouse'' it is stated that Grand Fenwick's constitution is amended to state that no weapon more modern than the
longbow A longbow (known as warbow in its time, in contrast to a hunting bow) is a type of tall bow that makes a fairly long draw possible. A longbow is not significantly recurved. Its limbs are relatively narrow and are circular or D-shaped in cross ...
will be used by the nation's army. The longbow is a vital part of the country's history, its borders originally determined by the distance a
platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...
of bowmen could shoot in each direction. (In real life at the time, the extent of a country's
territorial waters The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potenti ...
were defined by the
three-mile limit The three-mile limit refers to a traditional and now largely obsolete conception of the international law of the seas which defined a country's territorial waters, for the purposes of trade regulation and exclusivity, as extending as far as the r ...
, which is traditionally thought to be based on the effective range of a cannon fired from coastal land toward the sea.) In the film ''The Mouse on the Moon'', Grand Fenwick is shown to have a small military force dressed similar to the
Brigade of Guards The Brigade of Guards was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1856 to 1968. It was commanded by the Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and was responsible for administering the guards regiments. After the Second Wor ...
and armed with rifles.


The novels

In ''
The Mouse That Roared ''The Mouse That Roared'' is a 1955 satirical novel by Irish-American writer Leonard Wibberley, which launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary country in Europe called the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Wibberley used the premise to mak ...
'' (1955), the Duchy seeks to stop American counterfeiting of Pinot Grand Fenwick. Grand Fenwick's formal protests are ignored by U.S. State Department employees, who think the documents are pranks. Grand Fenwick then plans an attack on the United States, certain this will lead to immediate defeat followed by generous American aid. The Grand Fenwick Expeditionary Force lands when the streets of New York are deserted during a nuclear attack drill. Ultimately, they take prisoners and return to Grand Fenwick. One captive is the inventor of the Q-bomb, and the Duchy finds itself the possessor of the only working model of this devastating weapon. Grand Fenwick forms an alliance of small nations, the ''Tiny Twenty,'' and uses its control of the bomb to obtain world peace. '' Beware of the Mouse'' (1958) is set in the Middle Ages and explains the historical origin of Grand Fenwick. In ''
The Mouse on the Moon ''The Mouse on the Moon'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the sequel to ''The Mouse That Roared''. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel ''The Mouse on the Moon'' by Irish author Leonard Wibberley, and was directed by Richard Lester. In it, the p ...
'' (1962), Grand Fenwick beats the U.S. and the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in a
space race The Space Race was a 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union, to achieve superior spaceflight capability. It had its origins in the ballistic missile-based nuclear arms race between the tw ...
by using a new rocket fuel, the secret ingredient for which is found in a "premier
grand cru Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The ...
" crop of Pinot Grand Fenwick. In '' The Mouse on Wall Street'' (1969), the Duchy disrupts the world's finances. In an attempt to dispose of a sizable royalty payment from an American chewing gum company by investing it in failing companies, Duchess Gloriana finds she has the Midas touch for the stock market, and in a flurry of rumor and assumption, the Duchy becomes a financial superpower. In '' The Mouse that Saved the West'' (1981), it is discovered that the Duchy is sitting on the largest oil deposit in the world.


Other appearances

A 1966
television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
featuring
Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 â€“ February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950†...
in the same roles Peter Sellers performed in the movie (namely the head of state Duchess Gloriana XII, Prime Minister and Count Rupert Mountjoy and the military leader Tully Bascomb) was filmed but never picked up as a series. Grand Fenwick is mentioned in ''
The New Traveller's Almanac ''The New Traveller's Almanac'' is a series of writings included in the back of all six issues of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II'', covering the timeline and the world of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen''. The six is ...
'', part of the series ''
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four volum ...
''. In the comic ''
Aetheric Mechanics ''Aetheric Mechanics'' is a graphic novella created by Eagle Award-winning writer Warren Ellis. It is 48 pages long, illustrated in black and white by Gianluca Pagliarani, (although the indicia include a September 2008 publication date the ...
'', Grand Fenwick is stated to have been annexed by
Ruritania Ruritania is a fictional country, originally located in central Europe as a setting for novels by Anthony Hope, such as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1894). Nowadays the term connotes a quaint minor European country, or is used as a placeholder name f ...
. Grand Fenwick is used in
Project Euler Project Euler (named after Leonhard Euler) is a website dedicated to a series of computational problems intended to be solved with computer programs. The project attracts graduates and students interested in mathematics and computer programming. ...
to create the context of problem 314. In the shared
alternate history Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, altern ...
of
Ill Bethisad Ill Bethisad is a collaborative alternate history (fiction), alternate history project which had 58 active participants . Originally created by Andrew Smith from New Zealand, it was initiated in 1997 as the ''Brithenig Project''. It can be char ...
(1997 and after), Grand Fenwick is an actual country located between France and Helvetia (this world's version of Switzerland). Within Ill Bethisad, it is the smallest country in the world, being only 15 sq mi (39 km2) in size. ''The Royal Archduke of Grand Fenwick'' is a scheme used by
Barney Stinson Barnabus Stinson is a fictional character portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris and created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series ''How I Met Your Mother'' (2005–2014). One of the show's main characters, Barney is known f ...
to seduce an art expert in the ''
How I Met Your Mother ''How I Met Your Mother'' (often abbreviated as ''HIMYM'') is an American sitcom, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays for CBS. The series, which aired from September 19, 2005 to March 31, 2014, follows the main character, Ted Mosby, and his ...
'' episode "
The Ashtray "The Ashtray" is the 17th episode of the eighth season of the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', and the 177th episode overall. It originally aired on CBS in the United States on February 18, 2013. In the episode, Ted, Robin and Lily recount ...
". In the shared
worldbuilding Worldbuilding is the process of constructing a world, originally an imaginary one, sometimes associated with a fictional universe. Developing an imaginary setting with coherent qualities such as a history, geography, and ecology is a key task fo ...
project of the Otherworld Project (2011 and after), Grand Fenwick is a landlocked country in the continent of Messenia on the Earth-like planet of Arden. Although Arden's version shares similarities with other versions of the duchy (such as having a monarchy, its founding by Roger Fenwick and using the double-headed eagle flag), it also has many differences. Arden's Grand Fenwick is much larger than its Earth-based counterparts being 548.30 sq mi (1,420.09 km2) in size. It also doesn't produce wine and the name of its capital city is "Breck". The duchy's history is also different not only because it's on another planet but because the Otherworld Project is based on plausibility and so this version doesn't have the more outlandish elements given to Grand Fenwick in the books or movies.{{Cite web, url=https://www.otherworldproject.com/wiki/index.php/Encyclopaedia_Ardenica:About, title = About Encyclopaedia Ardenica


Film adaptations

* ''
The Mouse That Roared ''The Mouse That Roared'' is a 1955 satirical novel by Irish-American writer Leonard Wibberley, which launched a series of satirical books about an imaginary country in Europe called the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Wibberley used the premise to mak ...
'' * ''
The Mouse on the Moon ''The Mouse on the Moon'' is a 1963 British comedy film, the sequel to ''The Mouse That Roared''. It is an adaptation of the 1962 novel ''The Mouse on the Moon'' by Irish author Leonard Wibberley, and was directed by Richard Lester. In it, the p ...
''


References

Fictional European countries Fictional dukedoms Fictional elements introduced in 1955