God Save the King (or Queen, depending on the sex of the monarch) (Anonymous, 1745¿) is the official national anthem of the United Kingdom and the royal anthem of most Commonwealth realms
Its rise to fame happened in September 1745 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London: Prince Charles Edward Stuart (the “Jacobites”) was leading a military rebellion from Scotland to overthrow King George II of Great Britain.
Upon hearing news of a royal army defeat, the theater’s band leader decided to play a patriotic arrangement of this song at the end of the play to boost public morale. The performance was an overnight sensation. Theaters across the country immediately imitated it every night, and by sheer tradition, it became the de facto national anthem.