Changes

God Save the Queen is the royal anthem of the British monarchy, and almost universally regarded as the national anthem of the [[United Kingdom]] (although it has never been officially declared as such). Words and music are anonymous, though various theories as to authorship exist. The first known performance of the song was at a banquet in London in 1740. Note: when the monarch is a king, words are altered accordingly. The "king" version is, of course, the original. A fourth verse was added after the defeat of the Scottish rebellion of 1745, which spoke of crushing the Scots and such like, but was removed in Victorian times as not being particularly conducive to a harmonious union between England and Scotland. A different fourth verse, called the peace verse, was added at the end of the First World War, but this too was later removed. The song has been widely criticised ever since it appeared for its doggeral, schoolboy lyrics, its crude triumphalism, and its frankly appalling tune. And yet, perhaps almost because of these faults, it has gained wide affection amongst countless millions the world over.

In the United States, the same tune is the setting for the familiar patriotic hymn entitled ''America'' (but universally referred to by its first line, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee.")<ref>[http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh697.sht America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)]</ref>. It is often sung in elementary schools, perhaps because it is much easier for young children than ''The Star-Spangled Banner.'' The song was written by Samuel F. Smith in 1831 and first performed by Lowell Mason on July 4, 1831, at a children's service at the Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref name=loc>[http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000012/default.html My Country, 'Tis of Thee], Library of Congress American Memory project</ref>