Splendid isolation

This well-known phrase describes British foreign policy following the Napoleonic Wars, and during the rest of the 19th century. It was coined by the Canadian politician, George Eulas Foster, when speaking in the dominion's House of Commons in 1896. He said, 'In these somewhat troublesome days when the great Mother Empire stands splendidly isolated in Europe', expressing support for Britain's limited involvement in European affairs. it was also the title of a book by British historian, John Charmley, published in 1999, 'Splendid Isolation? Britain and the Balance of Power 1871-1914'.