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It is a cliche these days to observe that the United States now possesses a global empire - different from Britain's and Rome's but an empire nonetheless.

I've never met an American who wanted to build an empire.

Great Britain has lost an empire and has not yet found a role.

When I was a girl, the idea that the British Empire could ever end was absolutely inconceivable. And it just disappeared, like all the other empires. You know, when people talk about the British Empire, they always forget that all the European countries had empires.

Teaching the history of the British Empire links in with that of the world: for better and for worse, the Empire made us what we are, forming our national identity. A country that does not understand its own history is unlikely to respect that of others.

I've never seen America as an imperialist or colonialist or meddling country.

America is an empire. I hope you know that now. All empires, by definition, are bumbling, shambolic, bullying, bureaucratic affairs, as certain of the rightness of their cause in infancy, as they are corrupted by power in their dotage.

The United States should stop being the 'empire' and be concerned about other countries. You've got to be more worried about your own people.

If you look at the history of the U.S., we were an empire long before we were a nation.