Royal Canada

From Canadian Heritage:

"Royal Anthem"

History

The Royal Anthem originated as a patriotic song in London, England, in 1745. Neither the author nor the composer is known. The anthem is performed officially in Canada in the presence of members of the Royal Family, as part of the Salute accorded to the Governor General and Lieutenant Governors and by Canadians at all types of ceremonies and events usually in concert with the national anthem “O Canada”. Several similar earlier airs exist in a manuscript of 1619 attributed to Dr. John Bull, an organist in the Chapel Royal during the reign of James I. In the same book is a song called “God Save The King,” but the music is different. The Scots claim it is based on an old carol of 1611 called "Remember O thou man" or “Franklyn is fled away” of 1669. It has also been traced to Purcell in 1696. As a phrase from the Coverdale Bible of 1535, “God Save The King” was used as a naval watchword to which the countersign was “Long to reign over us.” For a long time the song was used as an expression of personal loyalty to the king and in translation it was used in Prussia, Denmark, and in Russia until 1833 when Czar Nicholas commissioned a new version. The tune has also been used in Sweden, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and the United States. “God Save The Queen” is sung in the United Kingdom as a matter of tradition. It has never been proclaimed the national anthem by an Act of Parliament or a Royal Proclamation. While “O Canada” is the national anthem of Canada, “God Save the Queen” is our royal anthem.

Lyrics

“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.

O Lord, our God, arise,

Scatter thine enemies,

And make them fall:

Confound their politics,

Frustrate their knavish tricks,

On thee our hopes we fix:

God save us all.

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.”

"Que Dieu protège notre gracieuse Reine,

Longue vie à notre noble Reine,

Que Dieu protège la Reine!

Rends-la victorieuse,

Heureuse et glorieuse;

Que soit long son règne sur nous,

Que Dieu protège la Reine!

Ô Seigneur, notre Dieu, surgis

Disperse ses ennemis

Et fais-les chuter;

Confonds leurs complots,

Déjoue leurs conspirations de filou!

En Toi, nous mettons notre espoir;

Que Dieu nous protège tous!

Parmi tous, Tu choisis les dons

Qu’il Te plaît de lui accorder;

Puisse-t-elle régner longuement;

Puisse-t-elle défendre nos lois

Et nous donner souvent raison

De chanter avec cœur et à pleine voix :

Que Dieu protège la Reine!"

Commercial Use

“God Save The Queen” is in the public domain and may be used without having to obtain permission from the Government.

^ I included the royal anthem here because until O Canada was made the national anthem God Save the Queen/King was used. It is still used as the royal anthem of the Canadian Monarchy. ^

http://canadiancrown.gc.ca/eng/1331831438010/1331831132991