When was the English national anthum written?

[Impret-Sir]

And who by? And what did we sing before it was written? And isnt it time that we had a new one? preferably one that is actually about England, rather than the Queen?

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.contemplator.com/england/godsave.html for a website about the background of the British national anthem. I presume that is the one you are referring to, as you mention the Queen, who is of course the Queen of the whole UK rather than just England.

[tartanwiz]

Originally God Save the King, it contained an extra verse which has since been dropped as it's anti-Scottish. It went: God grant that Marshal Wade / May by the mighty aid / Victory bring. / May he sedition hush / And like a torrent rush / Rebellious Scots to crush / God save the king.

[sft42]

Sorry TW the verse to which you refer hasn't ever been officially dropped....which is why I never stand for it.

As for the "We" in the questioners statement......the three people who have bothered to answer your question so far are Scots so I doubt we could care less.

[beale]

English national anthem is usually Land of Hope and Glory, written by Edward Elgar in the early part of the last century. Words were added later at the suggestion of George V, I think. Though English myself I do think God Save the Queen's third verse is not really in keeping with a British national anthem and would put forward Rule Britannia (written by Scotsmen) to replace the lot.

[Quizmonster]

Yes, 'Land of Hope and Glory' is used as England's 'anthem' on occasions such as the Commonwealth Games, when an athlete's success has to be marked specifically in a way to show his/her Englishness as opposed to Scottishness, Welshness or Northern Irishness...not to mention Australianness and so forth!

However, the 'land' in the original version referred to the UK and not just to England. It was, after all, a line in the 'Coronation Ode' written by AC Benson to accompany Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No 1' music. It was for Edward VII's coronation and he - just like the present monarch - was King of Great Britain and not just England. So, it is an 'anthem' only in the sense that 'Flower of Scotland' is an 'anthem'...ie merely an occasional one.

[Sylph]

The British National Anthem (God save the King) was composed in 1745 by the the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It was written after the defeat of the defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. There is information about this on the Official website of the Monarchy.

[saffstar]

I like the Eddie Izzard version (God please attack the Queen; Send big dogs after her; To Bite her bum!)

[Keith Kelly]

We, as English people are denied our own anthem. When the English rugby team play the Welsh or the Scots, they sing their respective anthems and we sing God save the Queen, which is as much Scottish or Welsh as it is English!

[IanPat]

england does not deserve an "anthum". An Anthem is a song of praise. england has done nothing to be praised for ,it has stolen from almost every Nation and People on Earth. If the english had any guts, they would fall on their blades, but no guts ,so, no glory, no glory ,no praise , thus no reason to sing a song of praise. And then there were Four. " Here's to us " IanPat