‘God Save the King’ is one of the oldest national anthems in the world, first performed during the reign of King George II in the 18th century.
‘God Save the King’, sung by soprano Alexandra Stevenson When was ‘God Save the King’ first adopted, and who wrote it? Read more: What are the lyrics to Britain’s national anthem and who composed it? ‘God Save the Queen’, the iteration of the British national anthem so familiar to audiences in concert halls, cathedrals, and sports stadiums across the country, will likely never be heard again at a public occasion in any of our lifetimes.Īs the national anthem reverts to its original version, here is the story of how ‘God Save the King’ first came to be. It was heard at a memorial service for the late, beloved Queen Elizabeth II in St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 9 September 2022, and once more the following day as Charles III was proclaimed King in front of the Accession Council at St James’s Palace in London. For the first time in over 70 years, a centuries-old anthem has reverted to its ‘original’ version following the accession of King Charles III.įollowing the accession of Charles III, ‘ God Save the King’ was sung in public as the national and royal anthem of the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth nations, for the first time in over 70 years.
