God save the King - what does that even mean?

[cakeorwine]

Because clearly God isn't going to save him.

Is is just a thing people say because they are expected to? Even if they don't believe in God nor do they think we should have a Monarchy?

Can you imagine the reaction if someone didn't join in saying this phrase?

Righto 🙄

Can you imagine the reaction if someone didn't join in saying this phrase?

Erm....yep. Absolutely no-one would give a shit.

It's not North Korea, no-one is being forced to say God save the King.

I wouldn't say it
I wouldn't stand for the National Anthem either.🤨🤨

Saying “Bless you” when someone sneezes probably doesn’t make a difference either, but we say it anyway!

hoping For stability, peace not war.

I agree it's a stupid phrase. I always used to wonder as a child exactly what God was supposed to be saving the monarch from!

At the proclamation, the people gathered in the room all said it in response to the person at the front saying it.

Can you imagine if a prominent politician had not said it and this had been seen on TV?

I stand but don't sing.

Because of the words.

The origins (historic) of the phrase are explained in the other thread started today asking the question.

Linguistically, there's the possibility there may be a connection to the greeting "salve" derived from the Italian-latin "salvare" and "ave" (hail) as in Ave Maria etc. Some Italians still use "salve" as a greeting (kind of like a "hail fellow well met" thing)

More likely to be what it says though.

I often say "God help us" (when reading stupid fucking questions generally)

I don't think he's going to come down and kick stupid people's arses on my behalf though.

"Because clearly God isn't going to save him. "

True but "Modern medicine" or "armed police close protection " save the King doesn't quite have the same catchy feel to it.
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"Is is just a thing people say because they are expected to? "

Yes it's an odd historical expression in the same way people say "God help us" or "SOS" when people want their lives saved not their souls etc etc
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"Even if they don't believe in God nor do they think we should have a Monarchy?"

Some do some don't.

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Can you imagine the reaction if someone didn't join in saying this phrase?

A disdainful look from a minority with the majority not really caring either way.

Can you imagine if a prominent politician had not said it and this had been seen on TV?

Well in her younger days Truss gave a speech on abolition of the monarchy but she seems to be towing the line so far. Maybe if the energy package goes tits up, as a distraction she’ll rock up to PMQ and start slagging em all off. “Off with their heads, who’s with me?!” Jerry McGuire style.

The fascist regime!

Do not seek logic in the monarchy!

Aren’t Kings Gods’ representatives on earth and appointed by divine right and all that jazz.

Back in the day when Kings were absolute monarchs and regularly went into battle and died, or just died eating dodgy chicken or something, I assume it was equivalent to “long live” the King. When a King did die seems thousands of others did as well because everyone started massive fights over who should be the next King, so everyone was thinking “fuck this, please God, save this King”.

what I reckon anyway.

I quite like ancient phrases and terminology ….. as far as my pitiful knowledge of history allows. I’d quite like to go to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London where they do the whole. “ halt who goes there” “ the keys” “ whose keys” “ the kings keys” or some thing along those lines. Some of these ceremonies are hundreds of years old. God Save the King sounds pretty historic but I don’t think I’ll be using it on a day to day basis so not bothered overall.

It just means don’t die doesn’t it from anthem days and before. Fair enough going through this often would not be wanted

The anthem says god save us all so we get a mention

I've never said it

Uf you must surely Long Live the King would be more appropriate.

Bit late to the party but...
According to the official Royal website:

'The British National Anthem in its present form dates back to the eighteenth century. The words and tune are anonymous, and may date back to the seventeenth 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.
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.'

The phrase "God save the King" was first used at King Edgar's coronation at Bath Abbey in 973. It originates from King Solomon's anointing and the Bible verses, "Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound." 1 Kings 1: 39-40. So the phrase "God save the King" (or Queen) is another way of asking God to protect the reigning monarch and grant them long life. It came from a time when people believed that God preordained monarchs to inherit the crown before birth and the 'divine right of kings'.
"God save the King" was also used as a watch word in the Navy during the reign of King Henry VIII to identify English ships.

It’s from ye olde times when he’d lead his troops into battle.

It’s tradition. No one’s forcing you to say it but tradition and ceremony is a big part of British values whether you like it or not. There’s no other country that does it like we do, and cultural tradition is worth protecting. Before we all turn into the same shade of beige.

Yes, it is equivalent to the Monarch having a long life because the alternative was war and instability, historically. Patriotism came later.

Simple as that.

Harry and Willaim should have hand-to-hand combat and the winner takes the Crown. That would be fairer than an accident of birth.

Perhaps not entirely what the thread is about, but I have thought for a long time that we could do with a new national anthem. The one we have is rather a dirge. I prefer "Jerusalem" personally, or we could have one composed.

As far as I can see at the moment only the reigning monarchs are not expected to sing it when out on official duties, as the words are far too self-congratulatory. The Queen was never seen to sing it, and I think King Charles has stopped now that he has become monarch.