"Long live our noble Duke" is an alteration traditionally made within the historic county boundaries of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

to the anthem "

God Save the King "God Save the King" is the national anthem, national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in ...

". The anthem still uses the same lyrics and instrumental tune, but the second line "Long live our noble King" is changed to "Long live our noble Duke" out of respect to the reigning monarch in their capacity as

Duke of Lancaster The Dukedom of Lancaster is an English peerage merged into the crown. It was created three times in the Middle Ages, but finally merged in the Crown when Henry V succeeded to the throne in 1413. Despite the extinction of the dukedom the title h ...

. The title is always held by the monarch as head of the royal

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is the private estate of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British sovereign as Duke of Lancaster. The principal purpose of the estate is to provide a source of independent income to the sovereign. The estate consists of ...

, historically Lancaster being the

county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...

of Lancashire. No matter if the sovereign is male or female, they always retain the style of duke, therefore the variant second line never changes even if "God save the Queen" changes to "God save the King" and vice versa. An unofficial Lancashire anthem, it is often used at formal dinners in the historical county and in Lancastrian regiments of the armed forces. This version of the anthem is used every Sunday at the

Savoy Chapel The King's Chapel of St John the Baptist in the Precinct of the Savoy, also known as the King's Chapel of the Savoy, is a church in the City of Westminster, London. Facing it are 111 Strand, the Savoy Hotel, the Institution of Engineering and Te ...

which is governed by the Duchy of Lancaster. Another version recorded to have been used at the Savoy Chapel is "God save our Duke the King, Long Live our noble Duke", this being in 1951 when

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

was monarch. The variant alters lines 1 and 2 in the original national lyrics. It is still currently used by Old Boys of

Lancaster Royal Grammar School Lancaster Royal Grammar School (LRGS) is a selective grammar school (day and boarding) for boys aged 11–18 in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. Old students belong to The Old Lancastrians. The school's sixth form opened to girls in 2019. LRGS i ...

Lyrics

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References

{{reflist British anthems British monarchy British patriotic songs

Lyrics

See also

Notes

References