When did we stop referring to England as England?

I remember in the 60's with the beginnings of the EEC began to come into existence that we started calling it Britain, Great Britain or the UK.

Before then we tended to call it England, although our heritage was Scottish here abroad.

The Empire didn't really crumble, but the Queen began to grant Independence to the colonies mainly as a Thank you for their service to the Crown during WWII. The Queen created the Commonwealth as a union of all of the countries

Many countries accepted their Independence as just another step, whilst others either bought to get it, or once they had it broke up into Civil Wars as different groups of people, often on race based, fought to become the dominant powers

Chetak

"Post WWII, when political correctness came in, seems to have destroyed the pride the Brits used to have in being English"

No. Political correctness stopped the English from referring to themselves as English due to the term being more associated with radicals/nationalists/racists. Something that, has been quite obvious over the last decade, is slowly reversing and is now okay to call oneself English without having the negative connotations applied to it.

All Brits are not and have never all been English. Brits are the English, Irish (only the north following the Irish war of independence), Scots, and Welsh.

"The British nation may have enslaved and exploited the world for four hundred years, but is that enough to cause this kind of sea change?"

The British did not enslave and exploit the world, if you both to read any book on the empire you will find that while misguided in places the empire attempted to develop what it held. Inside and outside of the empire, the economic power of the empire was used to further develop other nations most notable the South American ones.

"but I'm asking WHEN did it stop being referred to as "England," even when "the UK" was the meaning?"

The UK has NEVER been the meaning of England, and England has only ever been used to refer to the UK as a whole by the uninformed, misguided, or those who do not appreciate the difference.

Go read a book on the subject and educate yourself, instead of looking like an ignorant troll.

England is still England.

If you mean why is the whole of the UK not now called England, well that's because England hasn't been the name of the whole country since the political union with Scotland in 1707.

Then the answer is 1707. Many Americans still call the UK England, possibly because the 13 colonies were, originally English.

I read your question thrice just to see what is the thrust of your argument. I failed to notice any. It seems to be a case of universalising a local (mis-) sentiment. Even your question is co ck-eyed "referring to England as England"! If you have some inner angst, spell it out. But where is the historical content?

UK simply is United Kingdom, that is the name of the country, in the commonly accepted form the world over, like USA, Russia, Sri Lanka or China - not based on a football team waving a flag that even Boy Scouts & Girl Guides have each of their own. Those who are correct (not the "never mind..." brigade) call the country "United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland".

Your reading of the WW II is equally co ck-eyed. WW II (by design, unknown even to the Empires) began the process of dismantling the Empires once & for all. Now you don't see them, except vestiges of their former selves, in nooks & corners of the world's waters. Europe is a small continent of about 50 small countries with half the continent being part of Russia (⅟5 ͭ ͪ), Their (8 of them - Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Britain, Italy, Portugal & Spain) glory lay in their Empires which are no more. These Imperial possessions 've become about 140 member-countries (or more) of UN (a total of 193 countries) now.

Four decades ago when I was in an aircraft factory. A colleague of mine was sent to Rolls Royce Engine factory for training. There he heard one of his senior co-workers lamenting about the fare for the London (underground) Tube railway, He said that before the War (when India was in British Empire) he paid 2 shillings for the trip, but now he was paying 8 shillings. My friend quipped "we paid the rest of the 6 shillings then".

History has a nasty habit of removing the right perspective. Then simple things become hard to comprehend even & much less to appreciate. Then after a couple generations later, someone digs out, comprehends the "meaning" & gets a PhD awarded.

We didn't. England is still England. But that's just one part of a multi-national state The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

From 1707, when the Union of England and Scotland occurred and formed British as a nationality

England is still England just like it has always been. The United Kingdom includes England, Scotland, wales, and Northern Ireland.