God Save the King: what are the lyrics and meaning behind the UK national anthem and England soccer team?
The song is the national anthem in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, as well as for the team that forms one part of it.
Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, the national anthem of the United Kingdom has once again been sung as ‘God Save the King’, reflecting the accession of King Charles III. The lyrics of the anthem change depending on whether the reigning monarch is a king or a queen.
The song serves as a salute to the sovereign and is one of the most recognizable symbols of the United Kingdom.
When did God Save The King first become the British national anthem?
The origins of the anthem remain uncertain. While the melody was associated with the Hanoverian dynasty, which ruled Britain from 1714 to 1837, historians have never definitively identified its composer.
‘God Save the King’ was first publicly performed in September 1745 during the reign of King George II and gradually became established as Britain’s national anthem. It has remained the country’s official anthem ever since, with the lyrics altered to reflect the gender of the monarch.
The anthem is performed at national ceremonies, sporting events, royal occasions, and other public gatherings throughout the United Kingdom.
Lyrics to the British national anthem
God save our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King!
A second verse is also officially recognized, although it is rarely sung:
Thy choicest gifts in store
On him be pleased to pour,
Long may he reign.
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the King.
England has no official national anthem and ‘God Save the King’ is treated as the English national anthem at sporting events, though in some sports ‘Jerusalem’ is used. There is a movement to make ‘Jerusalem’ the anthem of England.
Wales has its own official national anthem, ‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’, ‘Land of my Fathers’ in English, while Scotland uses ‘Flower of Scotland’.
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