The British National Anthem is sung at patriotic ceremonies, from major sporting events such as the Olympics, to whenever the reigning monarch makes a public appearance.
However, following the Queen's death, the national anthem will sound very different. The British National Anthem in its present form dates back to the eighteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous, and may date back to the seventeenth century.
'God Save The King' was a patriotic song first publicly performed in London in 1745, which came to be known as the National Anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century. There is no authorised version of the National Anthem as the words are a matter of tradition.
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Additional verses have been added down the years, but these are rarely used. The words used today are those sung in 1745, substituting "Queen" for "King" where appropriate. On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung.
The words of the National Anthem are as follows:
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.
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.
Prince Charles will follow in his mother's footsteps to become the UK's official monarch, meaning it is likely the anthem will revert to its original form, with "King" in place of "Queen".
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