An Englishman’s home is his castle is a proverb that is hundreds of years old. We will examine the meaning of the proverb an Englishman’s home is his castle, where the expression came from, and some examples of its use in sentences.
An Englishman’s home is his castle is a proverb that can be traced to the late 1500s, and it means that all men have a right to privacy and autonomy. The proverb an Englishman’s home is his castle describes a sentiment that entered English law in the 1600s: No one may enter another’s home without permission. In 1628, Sir Edward Coke wrote in The Institutes of the Laws of England: “For a man’s house is his castle, et domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium.” Some have interpreted the proverb an Englishman’s home is his castle to mean that a person can do whatever he wishes in his house, even break the law. This is not true. The proverb traveled to America in the late 1600s and was altered to a man’s home is his castle, a more universal sentiment.
Examples
We are continually fed the xenophobic nonsense of pure-bred Britons – an Englishman’s home is his castle, anyone? – when the truth is that there is not a single English person resident in that country, unless their ancestry is Asian or African, who does not have European DNA in their blood. (The National)
An Englishman’s home is his castle and this unique home not only makes you feel royalty, but it has also got a great view of one of the Island’s most iconic sights — Carisbrooke Castle. (Isle of Wight County Press)
Fabulously cliché maxims such as “a man’s home is his castle” or “a woman’s place is in the home” have at least allowed us to agree on the fact that both sexes should appreciate a hospitable domicile. (Gulfshore Life)
For many homeowners across the UK, the expression that “a man’s home is his castle” continues to resonate and in some ways, is even more pertinent in the current climate. (Financial Reporter)