God Save The Queen hasn’t been sung at the Commonwealth Games since 2010

The Commonwealth Games has been running from July 28 and will last until August 8 at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.

The event takes place every four years and sees countries from across the Commonwealth take part in the prestigious competition.

For most sporting events, Team England sings God Save The Queen before games, including at the Women’s Euros final which saw the Lionesses take home a well overdue win.

However, the song is absent from the Commonwealth Games, despite it being another sporting event on an international level.

The reason for its absence only goes back 12 years and it's thanks to the British public that it is no longer played.

It raises the question, is The Queen still head of the Commonwealth?

Why is God Save The Queen not played at the Commonwealth Games?

God Save The Queen was sung at the Commonwealth Games for decades, but that changed in 2010.

That year, Team England conducted a public vote to decide what should be sung during the ceremony.

Jerusalem won the poll, securing 52% of the vote, with God Save The Queen coming in second place.

Jerusalem is an adaptation of William Blake’s poem, And Did Those Feet in Ancient Times.

Is The Queen the head of the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth of Nations was set up on December 11, 1931 and is a political association between 56 member states.

The bulk of these members are former territories of the British Empire, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.

In 1953, The Queen became Head of the Commonwealth when she ascended to the throne that year.

She also remains the Head of State for 15 Commonwealth members, including the UK.

The remaining countries are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

This is why when visiting those countries, the Queen can be seen on some of their currencies and pictures of her can be seen in government buildings.

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