God Save the King
national anthem of the United Kingdom and royal anthem of many Commonwealth realms
"God Save the King" (known as "God Save the Queen" when the monarch is female) is the national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is one of the two national anthems of New Zealand and the royal anthem of the Isle of Man, Australia, Canada and some other Commonwealth realms. The author of the song is unknown and it may originate as a plainchant, but an attribution to the composer John Bull has sometimes been made.
Beyond its first verse, which is consistent, "God Save the King" has many historic and extant versions. Since its first publication, different verses have been added and taken away and, even today, different publications include various selections of verses in various orders. In general, only one verse is sung. Sometimes two verses are sung and, on certain occasions, three.
In countries not part of the British Empire, the tune of "God Save the King" has provided the basis for various patriotic songs, ones generally connected with royal ceremony. The melody is used for the national anthem of Liechtenstein, "Oben am jungen Rhein"; the royal anthem of Norway, "Kongesangen"; and the American patriotic song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" (also known as "America"). The melody was also used for the national anthem "Heil dir im Siegerkranz" ("Hail to thee in the Victor's Crown") of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1795 until 1918; as the anthem of the German Emperor from 1871 to 1918; as "The Prayer of Russians", the imperial anthem of the Russian Empire, from 1816 to 1833; and as the national anthem of Switzerland, "Rufst du, mein Vaterland", from the 1840s until 1961.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “God Save the King” is national anthem of the United Kingdom and royal anthem of many Commonwealth realms. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Save, King and national, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “national anthem of the United Kingdom and royal anthem of many Commonwealth realms” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q40807. VIAF identifies the subject as 186706449. The Library of Congress control number is n82039934. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 1 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1795, 1918, 1871 and 1816.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “God Save the King”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow God Save the King primary sources, God Save the King archive and Save research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “God Save the King”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “God Save the King” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.