Page 11 - 6557
P. 11

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northen Ireland; namely “God Save
            the Queen”' as its National Song. This is also the Commonwealth Anthem.
            This national song is sung before international football and rugby matches.
            “God  Save  the  Queen”  was  composed  in  the  18th  century  by  Thomas

            Augustine Arne, who was born in 1710 and died in 1778. The first time it
            was  ever  sung  was  in 1745,  during the  Jacobite  invasion  of  England.  The
            Jacobites were trying to restore the House of Stuart, a Scottish entity, to the

            throne. They were being led by Charles Edward Stuart (also known as Bonny
            Prince Charlie). Charles Edward Stuart was proclaimed the King of England
            after defeating George II’s army. Because this invasion was seen as a huge
            threat to the monarchy, a petition was included in this National Anthem to

            protect the monarchy:

            Lord, grant that Marshal Wade

            May by thy mighty aid,
            Victory bring.
            May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,

            Rebellious Scots to crush,
            God save the King.


            This line is no longer included as it is anti-Scottish and, therefore, politically
            incorrect  and  irrelevant.  It  should  be  noted  that  the  anthem  changes
            according to whether England is under the rulership of a King or Queen. All
            pronouns  indicating  the  King  or  Queen  will  be  changed  accordingly.  The

            standard  version  of  the  National  Anthem  of  the  United  Kingdom  and  the
            National Song of England follows:



                                         God Save the Queen (or King)

            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.


            O Lord, our God, arise,

                                                             10
   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16