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North Devon Remembers
Those who died in the Service of their Country
Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II
HM The Queen was born in London, the daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, on 21 April 1926, and was christened Elizabeth Alexandra May.
On 20 November 1947 she married HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and HM Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey, London, on 2 June 1953
Click here to listen to a superb choral version of the British National Anthem.
'God Save The King' was a patriotic song first publicly performed in London in 1745, which came to be referred to as the National Anthem from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous, and date back to the seventeenth century.
There is no authorised version of the National Anthem as the words are a matter of tradition. Also, additional verses have been added down the years, but these are rarely used.
The words used are those sung in 1745, substituting 'Queen' for 'King' where appropriate and on official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung:
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.
An additional verse is occasionally sung:
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.
The British tune has been used in other countries - as European visitors to Britain in the eighteenth century noticed the advantage of a country possessing such a recognized musical symbol - including Germany, Russia, Switzerland and America (where use of the tune continued after independence): The Duchy of Luxemburg continues to use this tune as its National Anthem. Interestingly, over 100 composers, including Beethoven, Haydn and Brahms, have used the tune in their compositions.
The Crown embodies and unites the the four Nations, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and its people under one Sovereign - Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
