Which European country's national anthem is 'God Save the King'?

The United Kingdom’s national anthem is “God Save the King.”

The song was first publicly performed in London in 1745, during the political crisis surrounding the Jacobite rising. It gradually became associated with the British monarchy and national identity, and by the early nineteenth century it was widely treated as the United Kingdom’s national anthem. Its composer and lyricist are not known with certainty.

The title and words change with the monarch’s gender. During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, it was sung as “God Save the Queen”; after Charles III became king in 2022, the wording returned to “God Save the King.” The anthem is generally performed in a short version, often using only its first verse.

A common mix-up is to call it England’s officially designated anthem. England has no single legally established national anthem, although “God Save the King” is often used for English teams and ceremonies. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also have songs commonly used in sporting or national contexts, but the United Kingdom as a state uses “God Save the King.”