You make me feel like a natural woman!

Previously I had just been informed that my British citizenship application was successful, but that didn't make me a citizen yet. I had to attend a ceremony to swear allegiance to Queen and country and receive the naturalisation certificate.

Initially the invitation from Essex County Council was to attend a ceremony on 2 December, but that would have been well after I'd hoped to be in South Africa; luckily they were very helpful and let me attend the next available one, namely yesterday (Wednesday 4 November). Thank God it has all worked out so well.

So after setting off horribly late (as is my habit), and getting stuck behind miles of cars and trucks on a small country road through a small country village with one way traffic due to road works, I got there just as the ceremony was starting (and not 45 minutes early as instructed!). Luckily they quickly checked my paperwork and let me in, for which I was very grateful.

I am not sure what I was expecting, or whether I was expecting much at all. I definitely thought it was just a formality I'll be glad to be over. However now I feel that if more people had to attend ceremonies to affirm their citizenship, they'd have a much better sense of community, pride and patriotism. I can't quite tell why but I left feeling quite sentimental and both proud to be an official citizen of this country, and aware of my responsibilities to it.

I suppose it's because we live fairly isolated, self-centric lives these days with little sense of community and the only pictures we get about both our government and our society is from tabloid newspapers, angry bloggers and columnists and from expose type programs. However the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the Queen's representative at the ceremony, spoke so passionately about the country, it's rich and proud history, and the county of Essex that you couldn't help but feel the presence of all of that history, pride, and regal power present. It painted a picture of a Britain I am proud to be a citizen of (although no more so than to be a South African citizen), rather than the doom, gloom and social decay presented everyday from other outlets.

It was also a privilege to sit in the Essex County Council chambers, what a fantastically beautiful room. A few pictures from the ceremony should arrive soon in the post, I'll add a few when they do.

Now I can apply for a passport but I'm not sure when I'll be able to do that, as it takes six weeks and I'm going to need my passport well before that to travel to SA. Luckily I'm not reliant on it for anything except easier European travel at this point.

Citizen Moo

I have been granted British citizenship!!

After marrying a British citizen, we had to fly to Pretoria for an interview two days after our wedding for me to get a two year long settlement visa before I could come live and work in the UK with my husband, for which I had to present passports, marriage certificate, details of his employment and home and of my education and letters we've exchanged and heavens know what else.

Then after those two years I had to apply for Indefinite Leave To Remain, for which I had to submit passports, marriage certificate, bank statements, payslips, council tax documents, mortgage statements, medical correspondence, and another two folders full of miscelanious docs showing how we've been living together as a normal couple. I also had to write the Life in The UK test which makes you learn a book full of facts hardly anyone in this country knows.

Then after two years I could apply for naturalization, for which once again I had to submit payslips, bank statements and all the usual crap.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY BANK STATEMENTS I'VE SAVED OVER THE YEARS, or how full my filing cabinet is, or how paranoidly I hang on to any document from a remotely official source that has both our names and address on?

HOWEVER I'm not complaining. I am very, very happy as I thought the application might come through so late I'd have to come back to the UK on holiday to attend my naturalisation ceremony! You see, I am not a citizen yet, I am waiting for an invitation from Home Office to attend a ceremony where I'll be presented with a citizenship certificate. I can then use that to apply for a passport, after attending an interview.

I had to apply for citizenship if we ever wanted to move back to the UK as you lose Indefinite Leave to Remain after being out of the country for two years or more.

I will of course be retaining my South African citizenship too so from here on out the world is my oyster.

So yes, Moo is happy and thankful today.