Trevor Phillips cited the role of Muslim Turks in 'saving' Queen Elizabeth I from defeat by the Spanish Armada in 1588 as an example of how the 'whole story' often went untold.

And the head of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights warned that such actions were vital if the country was to overcome 'stormy times' on the horizon.

Speaking at a Labour conference meeting, he said: 'I think we have to rewrite, redevelop our national story so that it is inclusive.

'What I mean by that in practice is not that we have to rewrite what we are but sometimes we have to go back into the tapestry and insert some threads that were lost.'

Mr Phillips said national heritage should be used to show 'how this society got to be how it is'.

He told the audience: 'When we talk about the Armada, it is only now that we are beginning to realise that part of it is Muslims – actually it was the Turks who saved us because they held the Armada for a few weeks, on the request of Elizabeth 1.'

He also called for a written constitution and argued that every Briton should go through a ceremony at the age of 18 to reinforce the importance of becoming a citizen.

'We need to be more explicit in understanding how we treat each other and how we talk to each other,' he added.