I noticed that at the end of Prince William's wedding the song "God Save The Queen" was sung. The Queen herself remained silent during at least part of the song; is it appropriate for the monarch not to sing this song?

satguru

I would say it's the equivalent of when performers on talent shows sometimes applaud themselves by mistake at the end. I don't think it would be appropriate for her to sing as the song is being sung for and about her. Apr 30 11, 9:44 AM

gtho4

It is sung in her honour, as a greeting: The British National Anthem dates back to the eighteenth century. 'God Save The King' was a patriotic song first publicly performed in London in 1745, which came to be known as the National Anthem at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous, and may date back to the seventeenth century. In September 1745 the 'Young Pretender' to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. In a fit of patriotic fervour after news of Prestonpans had reached London, the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged 'God Save The King' for performance after a play. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly. This practice soon spread to other theatres, and the custom of greeting monarchs with the song as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was thus established. There is no authorised version of the National Anthem as the words are a matter of tradition. Additional verses have been added down the years, but these are rarely used. The words used today are those sung in 1745, substituting 'Queen' for 'King' where appropriate. On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung. http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/NationalAnthem.aspx Apr 30 11, 9:54 AM

Watchkeeper

From the official Website: "In September 1745 the 'Young Pretender' to the British Throne, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, defeated the army of King George II at Prestonpans, near Edinburgh. In a fit of patriotic fervour after news of Prestonpans had reached London, the leader of the band at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, arranged 'God Save The King' for performance after a play. It was a tremendous success and was repeated nightly. This practice soon spread to other theatres, and the custom of greeting monarchs with the song as he or she entered a place of public entertainment was thus established." http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/Symbols/NationalAnthem.aspx If singing the National Anthem represents the subjects greeting the monarch (and the words suggest this) then it would be inappropriate for the monarch to join in. The British National Anthem is about the monarch, the Head of State, personally. National Anthems of other countries are not about the Head of State (e.g. Advance Australia Fair, O Canada, The Star-spangled Banner) and it would therefore be appropriate in those countries for the respective Head of State to join in. Apr 30 11, 10:17 AM