Rejected petition: Give the UK a second national anthem for sport and celebration
Rejected on
God Save the King' is solemn and dignified but at a World Cup, Ashes Test, or New Year's Eve, it falls flat. We're calling on the Government to introduce a second, complementary anthem for national celebrations, leaving the existing anthem exactly as it is for Remembrance and ceremony.
God Save the King" is 280 years old. At Remembrance, state funerals, and ceremonial occasions, it remains exactly right. But at celebratory events like the Olympics, World Cup, Six Nations, and New Year's Eve, its solemn tone doesn't fit the mood. Many countries use separate anthems for solemn and celebratory occasions. This petition calls for a second, complementary anthem for celebrations only — "God Save the King" would stay completely unchanged for Remembrance and ceremony.
Why was this petition rejected?
It’s about something that the UK Government or Parliament is not directly responsible for.
This isn’t something that the UK Government or Parliament would be able to do. The use of the present National Anthem is a matter of tradition rather than having any legal or constitutional status.
You can find more information about the history and status of the national anthem here:
https://www.royal.uk/national-anthem
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.