It was striking and very welcome to note that the anthem for England’s Commonwealth Games team is the wonderful hymn Jerusalem, first used at the 2010 Games.
Jerusalem is also sung at England cricket matches and clearly forms a more fitting anthem to use for sporting events featuring English teams than the all-encompassing UK anthem, God Save the Queen.
The latter, written in 1745 in support of King George II after the defeat of his army at the battle of Prestonpans by Bonnie Prince Charlie, was followed by a verse appended to it calling on the Lord to assist Marshall Wade in his endeavours, “rebellious Scots to crush”. It is time that England has a national anthem of its own and Jerusalem is certainly worthy of consideration in this respect.
Alex Orr
Edinburgh
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