God Save the King: What are the lyrics and meaning behind the UK national anthem?

Since the death of Elizabeth II last year, the national anthem of the United Kingdom has returned to ‘God Save the King’ due to her successor, King Charles III, being male. References to ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ in the anthem change depending on the ruler.

The song serves as a salute to the reigning monarch of the country.

When did God Save The King first become the British national anthem?

The melody of the song was first used in the anthem of the Hanoverian dynasty, which ruled Britain from 1714 to 1837. It is not known who composed the song though it was adopted as an anthem in September 1745, during the reign of George II, though the lyrics were likely written during the reign of his son King George III. The song has been used as the official British national anthem ever since.

The song is a tribute to the reigning monarch, and it is typically played or sung at public events and ceremonial occasions such as the upcoming coronation.

There is a second part which is rarely sung:

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’.