'God Save the King' - Chelmsford Cathedral choir sings rousing rendition of new national anthem

  • Chelmsford Cathedral Choir sing God Save the King

A rendition of God Save the King has been sung for the first time during the reign of King Charles III by the choir at Chelmsford Cathedral.

The lyrics to the national anthem have changed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of Charles.

The Bishop of Chelmsford said it might take a while to get used to singing the new version.

Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford, said: "It's going to take us a while to get used to isn't it?

"Most of us for all our lives have sung God Save the Queen, so I'm sure there are going to be mistakes made over the coming days and weeks.

"It's the start of a new era and there is a sense in which although there's sadness and sombreness, the Queen lived a very long and full and rich life.

"So I think we also bring a spirit of thankfulness and joy for everything that she was and everything that she did, which will lead us into the next era."

The choir at Chelmsford Cathedral sing God Save the King. Credit: ITV News Anglia

King Charles III was formally declared the nation's new monarch at a meeting of the Accession Council at St James's Palace.

The King spoke movingly about his mother and the grief his family is experiencing, but said the "sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers" had been the "greatest consolation".