Merrie England is Edward German's third comic opera, his second with librettist Basil Hood, and his first full-length comic opera to have composed entirely on his own.  Following the success of The Emerald Isle, the Savoy Theatre, under the management of William Greet, arranged for German and Hood to collaborate again.  The original production opened April 2, 1902, with the cast from the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

The opera is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England.