The British national anthem lyrics are about to change now that Queen Elizabeth II has died
- After the Queen's death on September 8, her oldest son, Prince Charles, is taking the throne.
- Because Charles is taking the throne, the lyrics to "God Save the Queen" are changing to "God Save the King."
The lyrics to the United Kingdom's national anthem will change now that Queen Elizabeth II has died.
The song, "God Save the Queen," will change to "God Save the King," as the Queen's oldest son, Prince Charles, takes the throne.
All of the lyrics will remain the same, other than "queen" being replaced with "king" and "she" and "her" being replaced with "he" and "him."
Queen Elizabeth died on September 8 at age 96. She was the world's oldest reigning monarch, with a generation-spanning 70 years in power.
In a statement sent to Insider, Buckingham Palace said the Queen "died peacefully at Balmoral" on Thursday afternoon. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," the statement added.
In a separate statement, King Charles III — as he will now be known — called it "a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family."
"God Save the King" is actually the anthem's original title; it was written in 1745 and became known as the UK's national anthem at the beginning of the 19th Century, according to the official Royal Family website.
The Queen took the throne in 1952, when the lyrics were "God Save the King," in honor of King George VI.