​How England national anthem changes lyrics between ‘God Save the King’ and ‘God Save the Queen’ originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.England’s national anthem can change its lyrics.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt the 2026 FIFA World Cup, players and supporters sing before the match the song ‘God Save the King.’In some past iterations of this tournament, they’d sing ‘God Save the Queen.’It’s a rare feature of the English anthem, one that at least at first can catch others by surprise when they haven’t heard the song sung in a while.MORE: Christian Pulisic gives a terrible answer after World Cup-ending lossThe song’s title and lyrics depend entirely on the monarch leading England at the time.Because King Charles III is currently ruling England, the song is sung about a king.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhen it was previously Queen Elizabeth II, the song became about a queen.The only parts of the song that change are the words “king” and “queen” themselves, as well as any pronouns referring to those people.In the first verse, for example, the line “send him victorious” would become “send her victorious” in the era of a queen.And the word “king” or “queen” is recited four times in that first verse, so each of those is different.The other words in the song remain the same no matter who the monarch is.Erling Haaland brought a wild $750 gift home from the World CupAn on-brand finish to Neymar’s Brazil careerLionel Messi makes announcer lose his mind in 35-second goal callJerry Jones booed during World Cup match in DallasActor who played Dani Rojas in Ted Lasso makes pro soccer debut