A moment is coming that will mark the end of an era. The likeliest date for Britain’s departure from the European Union remains, despite the forlorn attempts of those who can neither believe it nor accept it, March 2019, at the end of the allotted Article 50 period. There will then be a transition period, of unspecified content and uncertain duration, which means the point of departure might be a messy process rather than a single moment. Nevertheless, the next five years will bring Britain a significant shift in its status.

Boris Johnson regarded the EU as a fog which shrouded Britain’s glory MARY TURNER/REUTERS

Now, without wishing to be too gloomy on a delicate subject, it is quite likely that this will come soon after or not long before the end of the Elizabethan era. The symbol of