God Save The King is probably inspired by a French royal anthem but with no direct link to Louis XIV and his infamous fistula, one musical expert told The Connexion.
Composer Jean-
Baptiste LullyPublic domain
One theory behind the origin of the British national anthem traces it to French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully who composed the song in honour of the French king who survived the surgical operation on his anal fistula.
This theory is only based on ‘Souvenirs apocryphes’ (Apocryphal souvenirs) by Marquise de Créquy, a book collecting writings based on her recollections of various events and written between 1710 and 1803.
Thomas Leconte, researcher at the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and a specialist of royal ceremonials, called it a “legend”.
“It is typical of the barbs French and British people throw at each other,” he said.
“I believe God Save The King is the English adaptation of the French version of the Domine, salvum fac regem first played in 1745,” he added.
Domine, salvum fac regem was the French royal anthem during the Ancien Régime, when France was ruled by a king. It was a sung version of the last verse of psalm 19 that closed every royal ceremony.
Louis XIV underwent surgery on November 18, 1686 at Versailles’ castle for three hours. It is said that Madame de Maintenon – the secret wife of Louis XIV – asked Mr Lully to compose a song that was subsequently sung throughout the operation by women of the Maison Royale de Saint-Louis.
There are two opposing theories when linking the British national anthem to Louis XIV.
The first states that Georges brought it to Great Britain after he heard it while visiting France and transposed it into English.
Another one links it to James II of England who, while exiled in France, heard it and translated it ahead of his future coronation ceremony – which never happened as he died in exile.
His son James Francis Edward Stuart and grandson Charles Edward Stuart also tried unsuccessfully to claim the throne. The British national anthem was said to have been sung by supporters of the latter.
“These two theories are equally plausible. I would think that it is the use that was brought in Great Britain. If it comes from a French version of the song, it was heavily modified,” said Mr Leconte.
The royal anthem became a real phenomenon under the reign of Louis XIV because it legitimised the king as the most powerful figure of the kingdom as well as the closest human being to God, said Mr Leconte.
Mr Leconte said he believes several British kings took ideological inspiration in an effort to reaffirm both spiritual and temporal dominance of the British kingdom.
“But I would not go as far as to link it to Mr Lully”, he added.
