In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing at 96, England’s national anthem has undergone slight changes. Following the accession of Prince Charles as King Charles III, the national anthem will be modified slightly. In line with tradition, the anthem will switch from “God Save the Queen” to the de facto version “God Save the King.” A few other minor alterations will be made, such as changing “Queen” to “King” and the pronouns “she/her” to “he/his,” but the rest will stay as is.
The British national anthem is sung at patriotic ceremonies and whenever the monarch appears in public. England’s national sports teams and Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team will also sing this anthem at their games. In its present form, the anthem dates back to the 18th century. It is currently unknown who wrote the words and tune for the song, but it may date back as far as the seventeenth century.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“God Save The King” became the national anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century after first being publicly performed in London in 1745. Tradition dictates the words of the National Anthem, so there is no official version. Different verses have been added and removed since its first publication, and various renditions include other lyric selections in alternate orders. In most cases, only the first verse is sung on official occasions. Periodically, two verses are sung, and rarely, three.
The lyrics most recently used before the Queen’s passing were those sung in 1745 as described above, with the word “Queen” substituted for “King” wherever appropriate. “God Save the King” inspired various patriotic songs outside the British Empire, though it is still generally associated with royal occasions. The melody is used in the national anthem of Liechtenstein, “Oben am jungen Rhein,” and in the royal anthem of Norway, “Kongesangen.” A version of the melody is also utilized in the United States for the patriotic song “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” ( commonly referred to as “America”).
The monarch’s death was confirmed in a tweet from the Royal Family today that stated, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” BBC One anchor Huw Edwards broke the news of the Queen’s death during a live broadcast. After showing an image of the flag at half-mast at Buckingham Palace, he stated, “A few moments ago Buckingham Palace announced the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”
Related Posts
-
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 30: King Charles III during a visit to the University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre on April 30, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage) -
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales watch an RAF flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after attending Trooping the Colour on June 15, 2024 in London, England. Trooping the Colour, also known as The King's Birthday Parade, is a military ceremony to mark the official birthday of the British Sovereign. The ceremony takes place at Horse Guards Parade followed by a flypast over Buckingham Palace and was first performed in the mid-17th century during the reign of King Charles II. The parade features all seven regiments of the Household Division with Number 9 Company, Irish Guards being the regiment this year having their Colour Trooped.
