ENGLISH ANTHEM. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession to the throne of her son, Charles III, many changes are to be expected. “God save the Queen” becomes “God save the King”.
The British will have to change a habit that dates back to 1952: now, after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Thursday September 8, 2022, the British anthem becomes God Save The King. For seven decades, the English sang God Save The Queen, in homage to the Queen. In addition, the lyrics of the anthem will all be masculinized, to pay homage to the now King of England, Charles III.
Also note that God Save The King is one of the two national anthems of New Zealand, but also the royal anthem in Australia and Canada, two countries which have a national anthem different from this song. After the death of Elizabeth II, the God Save The Queen, sung since February 6, 1952, the date of the Queen’s accession to the throne, once again becomes the God Save The King known during the reign of her father, George VIa song adopted as the national anthem in 1745.
Lyrics to God Save The King:
May God protect our gracious King,
Long live our noble King,
May God protect the King!
make him victorious,
Happy and glorious;
Long may his reign over us be,
May God protect the King!
O Lord our God, arise
Disperse his enemies
And make them fall;
Confuse their plots,
Foil their trickster conspiracies!
In You we place our hope;
May God protect us all!
Please pour over him
Your most precious gifts;
May he reign long;
May he defend our laws
And always prove us right
To sing with heart and with full voice:
May God protect the King!