All about national anthems
Across the globe, almost every country has its own national anthem. Sung at various events and occasions, they all have their own unique history and melodies.
Over time, generations have come to know and sing them. But what is a national anthem and why do we have them?
Here, BBC Bitesize takes a closer look at national anthems, from the oldest and longest to some of the world's most famous. You can also learn more about the history of the UK’s national anthem below!
What is a national anthem and why do we have them?
A national anthem is a patriotic song, hymn or musical composition that represents a country. Official national anthems are adopted by law and have often been part of a country's history and traditions for many years.
But why do we have them? Well, there are numerous reasons, but national anthems are symbols of patriotism, history, culture and unity, and can bring people together.
National anthems can vary in genre as there are so many different, distinct ones – but many fall under classical, march or hymn music styles. There are too many to name – but most countries have a national anthem to express their national identity.
The United States of America has ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ - whose lyrics were written by American lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key. The German national anthem is the third stanza of the poem ‘Deutschlandlied,’ also known as ‘Das Lied der Deutschen,’ and its music was composed by Joseph Haydn.
Australia’s national anthem, written by Peter Dodds McCormick and adopted in 1984, is called ‘Advance Australia Fair.’ ‘La Marseillaise’ is the national anthem of France and Ireland’s national anthem is ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ (The Soldier's Song).
What is the national anthem of the UK?
The official national anthem for the United Kingdom is ‘God Save the King.’ According to the official website of the British Royal Family, the national anthem in its present form was first publicly performed in London in 1745.
Since the 19th century, it has been known as the national anthem. Depending on the monarch and where appropriate, the UK substitutes ‘Queen’ for ‘King.’ For example, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the lyrics were changed to King to honour the accession of her son, King Charles III.
But do each of the individual nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own national anthems? Well, the answer is not technically.
God Save the King is used across the United Kingdom, at official occasions or sporting events. Some nations do have their own ‘unofficial’ regional anthems; however they are not official in law.
‘Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau’ (Land of my Fathers) is widely recognised as Wales’ unofficial national anthem. In Scotland, ‘Flowers of Scotland’ is often referred to as the unofficial national anthem of the country.
Beside the UK, the only other nation to use God Save the King as an official national anthem is New Zealand. New Zealand also has a second national anthem of equal legal status - ‘God Defend New Zealand.’
Does King Charles III sing God Save the King?
The reigning British monarch does not typically sing the national anthem. The national anthem is sung to the reigning monarch, and it has long been tradition for them to not sing along to the anthem.
Where are national anthems typically sung?
National anthems are sung worldwide for a variety of events and occasions. It varies, but national anthems can be sung at everything from school assemblies to national holidays,sporting events, state and royal occasions and more.
And it’s not just members of the public or an audience who have sung their national anthem. Through the years, several famous faces have had the honour of singing their national anthem to the masses, both in person and at televised events.
Celebrities who have famously performed the UK’s national anthem include mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins, who recorded the very first official BBC version of ‘God Save the King’ following the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May also performed a solo instrumental rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’ from the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Across the pond in America, the U.S. national anthem – ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ - is often sung at major sporting events, such as the Super Bowl. Stars who have sung at the Super Bowl include Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Charlie Puth, Chris Stapleton and more.
But many singers also sang the national anthem at a sporting or local event before their rise to fame. For instance, Taylor Swift performed the U.S. national anthem at the age of 11 at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game in 2002.
Who has the youngest and oldest national anthem?
Nigeria is the most recent country to adopt a new national anthem. In 2024, BBC News reported how there was controversy surrounding Nigeria’s newly re-adopted anthem ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee,' which replaced the anthem ‘Arise, O Compatriots.’
When it comes to the oldest national anthem in the world – there's a few different ways to categorise this.
According to Guinness World Records, the national anthem with the oldest lyrics is Japan’s anthem, ‘Kimigayo.’ The words of the national anthem were taken from a 9th century poem and later set to music in 1880, before being formally adopted as the national anthem in 1888.
The national anthem with the oldest music is the Netherlands’ ‘Wilhelmus van Nassouwe.’ Its tune was taken from a French anti-Protestant song and first written down in 1574. It was an unofficial anthem for generations but was not adopted formally until 1932.
And as for the oldest authorised national anthem in continuous use, this is widely thought to be Spain’s ‘Marcha Real’ (Royal March.) From 1770, it was played on state occasions but not formally adopted as Spain’s national anthem until 1871.
Who has the shortest and longest national anthem?
According to Guinness World Records, the title for the shortest national anthem is held by Japan, Jordan and San Marino.
All three national anthems consist of four lines of text. However, Japan’s national anthem, Kimigayo, is widely considered the shortest as it only contains the least amount of characters – with 32 characters.
The national anthem of Jordan is ‘As-Salām al-Malakī al-ʾUrdunī,’ which translates to ‘The Royal Anthem of Jordan.’ San Marino’s national anthem is ‘Terra di Libertà,’ which translates to ‘Land of Liberty.’
In terms of duration, the longest national anthem belongs to Urguguay. ‘Himno Nacional de Uruguay’ (National Anthem of Uruguay), also known as 'Orientales, la Patria o la Tumba’ (Easterners, the Fatherland or the Grave) consists of 150 bars of music and in full it can take around six minutes to sing.
Greece’s national anthem, the ‘Hymn to Liberty,’ is a poem consisting of 158 verses, making it the longest national anthem by lyrics. However, due to the poem’s length, the first two verses are adopted and sung. Cyprus also shares the same national anthem.
Does a national anthem have to have words?
While most nations have national anthems with lyrics – this is not the case for some. A national anthem can be wordless and, when played, just consist of an instrumental melody.
This is the case for Spain’s ‘Marcha Real’ (The Royal March) and San Marino’s ‘Terra di Libertà’ (Land of Liberty), as well as Kosovo’s ‘Himni i Republikës së Kosovës’ (Anthem of the Republic of Kosovo) and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ‘Intermeco' (Intermezzo).
This article was written in July 2026
