I have no ‘defined sense of Englishness’. I had no power to choose where I was born. I have no use for nationalism or tribalism. These are things to fight, not celebrate. Along with religion I cite them as humanity’s most destructive inventions.
I understand the history of England to a sufficient degree to grasp it is responsible for much of the inequality, brutality and division we see around us today. We have not even outgrown monarchy, let alone centuries of elite class rule and the democratic deficit it requires to function. I find much to like in art, music, literature, science, technology, architecture etc, even if much of the funding for historic eras was rooted in imperialism, exploitation and even slavery. I feel Brexit slammed the door on the world and made everything so much smaller, constrained and even more stupidly right-wing. A tiny nation in decline via an act of deliberate self-immolation. That said humans being what they are there is always worse out there. I’d certainly prefer to be stuck here than Gaza, Iran, Syria, Sudan etc.
As such I’ll never understand national pride. People lining the streets waving silly little flags at billionaire elites, throwing bottles, glasses, tables etc at football matches etc. I have no idea why they do that. All looks like fascism to me.