God Save the Queen (British royal and national anthem)
Traditional royal anthem of the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth realms; a short, adaptable hymn-like tune whose origins are uncertain and whose words change with the monarch's gender.
God Save the Queen (or God Save the King, depending on the monarch) is the traditional royal anthem used in the United Kingdom and by many Commonwealth realms. It functions both as a de facto national anthem for the UK and as a ceremonial hymn to honour the sovereign. The song is brief, usually performed with only the opening verse, and commonly appears at state occasions, military events, and other ceremonies where the monarch or their representatives are being recognized.
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Overview and form
The anthem consists of a simple, solemn melody with a short set of verses. In practice, performers usually sing the first verse only; additional verses exist but are rarely heard in modern use. The opening words change to reflect the monarch’s gender—"Queen" or "King"—and some performances alter archaic phrasing to suit contemporary audiences. Musically it is adaptable: arrangements are common for piano, orchestra, military band or choir, and it is often played as an instrumental fanfare when the sovereign appears.
Origins and development
The precise origin of the tune and the original author of the words are uncertain. Its popularity grew in the mid‑18th century, and the song became widely associated with public loyalty to the Crown. Over the 19th century it became established in public life and accepted as the country's principal royal anthem. Although commonly treated as the United Kingdom’s national anthem, it has not always been set down by a single act of Parliament; its status is rooted in convention and repeated official use rather than one formal statute.
Usage and occasions
God Save the Queen is used in a range of ceremonial contexts. Typical occasions include:
- State ceremonies, such as royal openings and investitures.
- Military parades and remembrance events.
- When the monarch or a member of the Royal Family arrives at or departs from a venue.
- As a royal anthem in several Commonwealth realms, where it is played to honour the sovereign rather than to represent the nation in all contexts.
Regional and alternative anthems
Within the British Isles and the wider English‑speaking world, several other patriotic songs are commonly heard alongside the royal anthem. Examples include "Rule, Britannia!", "Jerusalem" and Edward Elgar’s tune for "Land of Hope and Glory", all of which are often used at public ceremonies and sporting fixtures. Parts of the United Kingdom also use distinct unofficial anthems—such as songs associated with Scotland and Wales—that express regional identity and are chosen for local events.
Notable facts and controversies
The anthem has been adapted, parodied and repurposed in popular culture, reflecting both reverence and criticism of monarchy. Its succinct text, reverent tone and flexible wording have made it durable, but its use can prompt debate over national identity, republicanism and the place of historic anthems in modern multicultural societies. Despite these debates, its role as a ceremonial expression of loyalty to the sovereign remains established in many official contexts.
Melody
The place of the first publication of the melody (still in a slightly different version) is considered to be the Thesaurus Musicus (1744). The following year the tune was printed in the Gentleman's Magazine with the opening words "God save great George our king." Older similar tunes include a Gregorian chant and a harpsichord piece (1619) by John Bull. Traces of the tune are also found in some of Henry Purcell's works, on one occasion even using the melody head together with the text "God save the King". During the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, the hymn was sung in various London theatres, including the Drury Lane Theatre in an arrangement by Thomas Arne in honour of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland. The Jacobites also adopted the hymn with the opening words "God save great James our king".
In contrast, the authorship of the poet Henry Carey is rejected today. Carey's son had assigned the rights to the melody to his father in 1795 and hoped to receive a royal pension from it. However, he stated that his father had composed the melody in 1745, although he had already died in 1743. The writer Carey is said to have enlisted the help of his friend Smith, who was a pupil of George Frideric Handel and corrected the bass part for him.
The derivation from a melody by the French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, with which, according to the memoirs of the Marquise de Créquy, Louis XIV's recovery from an anal fistula was celebrated, is considered equally false.
A march of the Swiss military was also mentioned as the origin of the melody.
The then strange designation national anthem came from the fact that the fourth of Handel's Coronation Anthems, composed in 1727, had the same beginning. In 1745, for patriotic reasons, this was sung daily in London theatres and concerts for a time immediately before Carey's song became popular. Thus it inherited the name anthem, which today means both "hymn" and "church song."
Lyrics
Here is the version God Save the Queen. When a king rules the monarchy, the line is God Save the King. Then the pronouns are also adjusted: she/he, her/him, her/his.
Today's stanzas
| English original | German translation |
| God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble queen, God save the Queen! Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us; God save the Queen! | God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble queen, God save the Queen! Let them win, Be happy and glorious, Long may she reign over us! God save the Queen! |
| O Lord, our God arise, Scatter her enemies And make them fall; Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all! | O Lord our God, help her, Scatter their enemies, And bring her down; Thwart their dodges, Thwart their villainous plans! In you we place our hopes. God bless us all! |
| Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour; Long may she reign; May she defend our laws, And ever give us cause To sing with heart and voice, God save the Queen! | With your choicest gifts ...to shower them, Long may she reign, May she defend our laws And always give us reason, Singing with heart and voice: God save the Queen! |
More stanzas
The last three of the hymn, which originally counted six stanzas, are generally no longer sung today:
| English original | German translation |
| Not in this land alone, But be God's mercies known, From shore to shore! Lord make the nations see, That men should brothers be, And form one family, The wide world over. | Not only in this country Be God's grace known, But from coast to coast! Lord, let the nations know, That men should be brothers And be a family, All over the world. |
| From every latent foe, From the assassins blow, God save the Queen! O'er her thine arm extend, For Britain's sake defend, Our mother, prince, and friend, God save the Queen! | From every hidden enemy, Before the assassins' attacks, God save the Queen! Hold your hand over her, For the sake of Britain. Our mother, princess and friend, God save the Queen! |
| Lord grant that Marshall Wade May by thy mighty aid Victory bring. May he sedition hush, And like a torrent rush, Rebellious Scots to crush. God save the Queen! | God, grant that Marshal Wade... Through Your mighty help Give me the victory! May he silence sedition And break like a torrent, To put down rebellious Scotsmen! God save the Queen! |
Additional verse earlier in Canada
| Our beloved Dominion bless With peace and happiness From shore to shore; And let our Empire be Loyal, united, free True to herself and Thee God save the Queen. | Bless our beloved dominion With peace and joy Coast to Coast, And let our kingdom Obedient, united, free and Be true to yourself and to yourself! God save the Queen! |
First verse in French (formerly sung in France and Canada)
| Dieu protège la reine De sa main souveraine! Vive la reine! Qu'un règne glorieux, Long et victorieux Rende son peuple heureux. Vive la reine! | God save the Queen with his strong hand! Long live the Queen! May a glorious, Long and victorious reign make their people happy. Long live the Queen! |
Questions and answers
Q: When was "God Save the King" established as the national anthem of the United Kingdom?
A: "God Save the King" has been the national anthem of the United Kingdom since 1745.
Q: What is its title when a queen is ruling instead of a king?
A: When the ruling monarch is a queen instead of a king, the title of the anthem then becomes "God Save the Queen".
Q: How many countries have used this tune for their national anthems?
A: Apart from Germany, many other countries linked to Great Britain by marriage, Liechtenstein and Switzerland have used this tune for their national anthems.
Q: Did Switzerland use this tune for its national anthem?
A: Yes, Switzerland used this tune for its national anthem until it changed to a different one in 1960s.
Q: Does Liechtenstein still use this tune today?
A: Yes, Liechtenstein still uses this same tune today.
Q: Is this tune both American and British?
A: Yes, The tune for "God Save the King" is both American and British.
Q: What did America choose as its official anthem in 1930s instead of using "God Save The King"?
A: In 1930s America chose "The Star-Spangled Banner" as its official anthem instead of using equally popular song called “My Country 'tis of Thee” which used “God Save The King”'s same tune.
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AlegsaOnline.com God Save the Queen (British royal and national anthem) Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/39385