Will Students Be Expected to Stand for or Sing the “Royal Anthem” – “God Save the King” ?
“God Save the King/Queen” is the de facto national anthem of the United Kingdom. It is also one of two national anthems used by New Zealand since 1977, as well as by several of the UK’s territories that have their own additional local anthem. It is also the royal anthem—played specifically in the presence of the monarch—of the aforementioned countries, in addition to Australia (since 1984), Canada (since 1980), Belize (since 1981), Antigua and Barbuda (since 1981), The Bahamas (since 1973), and most other so-called realms of the Commonwealth.
The standard version used in the United Kingdom of the Royal Anthem are as follows:
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!
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter his 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 him be pleased to pour;
Long may he reign:
May he defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the King!
Then there is a special Canadian verse in English that was once commonly sung, in addition to the two standing verses:
Our loved Dominion bless
With peace and happiness
From shore to shore;
And let our Empire be
Loyal, united, free,
True to herself and Thee
For evermore.
Is this what the government of Canada is saying Canadian children should stand for or even sing? One thing is certain: they will be wanting to know why they should do such a thing.
(with files from Wikipedia)