Littlemoor Councillor Louie O’Leary suggests that all council meetings should be preceded by the National Anthem. An anthem that very few know all the words to and one that reflects very different times.
“Her Majesty the Queen ascended to the throne in 1952. She is this country’s longest serving head of state in history, she is defender of the faith and head of the commonwealth of nations. She is a symbol of public service and we all should be very proud of her and all her years of service to this nation.
“In the year of her Jubilee we as a council should reaffirm our support and admiration of her as the principal elected authority of her people in Dorset by beginning each full council and annual council meeting by singing the first verse of the national anthem “God Save the Queen”.
Why only the first verse?
Personally I would pay to see it all except it will not be. A small smidgen is now repeated as it has become an embarrassing anachronism to most and impossible to remember for almost all.
What are the lyrics to ‘God Save the Queen’?
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save the Queen!
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall!
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all!
Not in this land alone,
But be God’s mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow,
God save the Queen!
O’er her thine arm extend,
For Britain’s sake defend,
Our mother, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen!
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign!
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen!
Lord grant that Marshal Wade
May by thy mighty aid
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
And like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush.
God save the Queen!
Even the far right who celebrate it the most do not know the words to all the verses and blindly sing something that no one even knows the author of let alone believe in the God that dominated people’s lives 280 odd years ago.
The 21st century is not the 1740’s no matter how many wish it was.
What did Oscar Wilde say about patriotism?
This one however I will get behind in total solidarity:
Penny Lane
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