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Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Nicola Roy

What will UK's national anthem lyrics be now our monarch is King Charles?

The death of the Queen yesterday afternoon brought an end to her 70-year reign.

Her Majesty had been placed under medical supervision on Thursday at Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, where members of the Royal Family rushed to her side.

Her death means that her eldest son Prince Charles will become King, with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, becoming the Queen's Consort.

Many aspects of our everyday lives will change following the death of the monarch, as her face appears on stamps and currency.

Her Royal Cypher ERII also appears on Royal Mail postboxes and police uniforms.

It's likely that it will take some time before these are all changed to reflect the new King, with the UK's national anthem also set to change.

God Save the Queen is one of the most recognised national anthems in the world, and was adopted here in the UK over 250 years ago.

Will the national anthem change?

Charles has now become King after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II (Getty Images)

The national anthem has remained the same since it was introduced to the UK all those years ago, with the words changing slightly depending on who the monarch is.

This time will be no different, as it will change to 'God Save the King'.

This version hasn't been used in 65 years since the Queen's father King George VI died in 1957. The words to the first verse of version are:

God save our gracious King!
Long live our noble King!
God save the King!
Send him victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the King.

Shortly after the news broke of the Queen's death yesterday, crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace began singing this version of the national anthem.

According to the Royal Family website, the composer of the song is anonymous.

And although it didn't become the UK's official national anthem until the beginning of the 19th century, it was first performed in public in 1745 at London's Theatre Royal on Drury Lane.

It was played in celebration of 'Young Pretender' to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, after defeating the army of King George II at Prestonpans.

In total, around 140 composers, including Beethoven and Brahms, have used the tune in their compositions.

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