Their anthems & ours. David Starkey defends God Save the King as ‘dignified’ Times poll suggests it should be replaced
With the appointment of Charles as King the reappearance of God Save the King as the national anthem is a given.
There is a lot of history here. In the late eighteenth century there was an anthem war between Loyalists to the Crown and Jacobins who supported the French Revolution. This took place according to E P Thompson in the Making of the English Working Class in provincial theatres- places of entertainment and politics.
Loyalists sang God Save the King and radicals the more traditional anthem, the Roast Beef of Old England. Non meat eaters can relax here. The radicals were not eating beef. Thanks to what we call a cost of living crisis they couldn’t afford it. The basic diet was bread. The point was that there was a time when the poor could afford to eat beef.
The version sung two hundred years ago contained explicitly political lines which were aimed at the French and the Scots
“Scatter his enemies, And make them fall, Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks.”
Thompson reports an incident at a Sheffield Theatre in 1812. South Devon Officers ‘Church and King Bullies’ insisted on the singing of God Save the King. Thompson notes ‘the mobility in the gallery insisted on it not being sung’
Opining on GBNews (where else) ‘Royal historian’ David Starkey has opined that the words to God Save the King unlike other national anthems, although he may not have got as far as the second verse.
The Times (3rd May) meanwhile has published a poll suggesting that God Save the King needs to go with Sweet Caroline and Wonderwall listed as possible replacements.
Round one of an informal poll saw the Red Flag just beat Jerusalem which is rather England focused.
Round two based on suggestions from Round one is now open
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