As the Commonwealth Games reaches their penultimate day, spectators watching may have noticed something unusual during Team England’s medal ceremonies. Instead of hearing God Save The King, England’s gold medallists are celebrated with the hymn Jerusalem.
While God Save The King is the national anthem of the United Kingdom, England does not have an officially designated national anthem of its own. As a result, different sports and events have adopted different songs over the years.
For the Commonwealth Games, Team England uses Jerusalem following a public vote held in 2010. Supporters were invited to choose between Jerusalem, God Save The King and Land of Hope and Glory, with Jerusalem emerging as the winner with 52 per cent of the vote.
The decision means that whenever an English athlete wins gold at the Commonwealth Games, Jerusalem is played instead of the UK’s national anthem.
The arrangement is unique to Team England and reflects the fact that the Commonwealth Games are contested by the Home Nations separately. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each compete as individual teams rather than as Great Britain.
There is no single approach across English sport. England’s men’s football team and rugby union side use God Save The King before international matches, while Jerusalem has long been associated with England cricket. Other sporting events have opted for Land of Hope and Glory.
Jerusalem is based on William Blake’s famous poem And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time, which was published in 1804 as part of the preface to his epic poem Milton. The words were later set to music by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916 during the First World War.
Over the past century, the hymn has become closely associated with England and is regularly performed at national celebrations, sporting occasions and remembrance events.
The choice of Jerusalem for the Commonwealth Games does not alter the constitutional position of God Save The King. The royal anthem remains the official national anthem of the United Kingdom and continues to be used at state occasions and by many England sports teams.
