God Save The Queen's second verse ? Our poll of leading Britons reveals a right royal ignorance | Daily Mail Online
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At street parties all over Britain, along the Thames and on the Mall, the national anthem was sung with lung-bursting enthusiasm over the Jubilee weekend.
But while many embarked on the first verse with confidence, the second verse saw mumbling, miming and humming breaking out across the country.
During the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron was one of the few guests able to sing the second verse from memory.
During the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron was one of the few guests able to sing the second verse from memory
Originally, there were actually three verses in the anthem, which is based on a hymn by British composer Thomas Augustine Arne.
But in the 20th century, the old middle verse was quietly dropped, its mention of scattering our enemies deemed politically incorrect.
So does anyone apart from the Prime Minister know verse two? We put a selection of politicians, authors and celebrities to the test.
Jack Straw MP: Surely everybody knows the first verse standing on their head? It’s the next bit that’s tricky. ‘Thy choicest gifts in store, On her be pleased to pour, Long may she reign …’ er ... Oh, fiddlesticks! I do know it actually. I was at St Paul’s and I thought, ‘I’m not going to look at the words because it’s naff.’
Patrick Mercer MP: I can get through the first part, no problem, but then it is a bit challenging: ‘Thy choicest gifts in store, on her be pleased to pour ...’ That’s where I get a bit confused. I never sang it when I was in the Army. Never. I can, however, give you all six verses of the British Grenadiers!
Stanley Johnson, politician and author: Oh yes, I’m pretty good at remembering words. Of course a little bit of political correctness has snuck in here and there. After the first verse, we should go in on ‘Scatter her enemies … ’ and all that. I very much like that version. My grandchildren and I have invented our own words: ‘Scatter her enemies, Grind their faces down and keep them in the mud, da da da da.’  I like the unashamed triumphalism. If the Jubilee wasn’t an occasion for a bit of unashamed triumphalism, then I don’t know what was.
'Oh fiddlesticks!': Jack Straw
Confused: Patrick Mercer
Inventive: Stanley Johnson
Philip Pullman, novelist: I know the first verse, it’s easy: ‘God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen, Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us, God save the Queen!’ I don’t know the second verse — but why would I need it? We never use it.
One verse isn’t a problem to learn — though you would think it was to look at some sportsmen singing. They should jolly well learn it!
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Michael Palin, actor and writer: I don’t know any of the later verses — it’s a pity! Perhaps we should all learn a different verse each year? That would be a good salute to the Queen. Some of the other bits are rather weird and wonderful.
Santa Montefiore, novelist: Not many people know the second verse. I don’t! It’s part of our national heritage. We should just learn it. Or do what we’ve always done very successfully — bluff!
Irrelevant: Philip Pullman
It's weird: Michael Palin
'Bluff!': Santa Montefiore
Andrew Marr, broadcaster: I hardly ever sing the second verse, I confess. You virtually never hear it. I’m sure the Queen knows it, but I doubt anyone else does.
Marcus Brigstocke, Radio 4 comedian: I don’t know any of it. I don’t even know the first bit really. I know ‘God save our gracious Queen’ but that’s about it. It doesn’t become unpleasant, though, does it, not like the French one? The French one is absolutely vicious!
Robert Halfon MP: There used to be more than two verses? I must admit I only know the first two. It’s wonderful and it’s our fault for not knowing it. Maybe if you had to update it you could ‘Twitterise’ it in 140 characters? That could be good for this day and age.
Doubt: Andrew Marr
No: Marcus Brigstocke
'Twitterise': Robert Halfon
Barry Norman, film critic: I can do the first verse, which, let’s face it, is the one that’s normally played. And I’m prepared to sing it heartily — but not for you! I don’t mind doing it in a crowd so nobody can hear how badly I sing. Don’t ask Wayne Rooney to do it, though — he doesn’t seem to know the words. As far as I can tell, he never seems to sing it before matches. Perhaps he’s a republican! I don’t think there’s any necessity to learn the whole thing by heart. Just let people sing the words they know as heartily as they can.
Lewis Moody, former England rugby captain: When the national anthem came on for the Jubilee, my mum got to the second line of the first verse and started singing ‘la, la, la, la, la, la’. It was slightly worrying given that she has watched me singing it at rugby matches for years. I admit I struggle after the second verse, though. You hear other national anthems and some are more catchy, but ours is about British stiff upper lip.
Kate Mosse, novelist: I used to be a Girl Guide and we had to learn the national anthem — the whole thing. On big occasions, we would be part of the parade and you needed lots of verses to march to. I’ve never forgotten them.
First only: Barry Norman
Struggle: Lewis Moody
Knowing: Kate Mosse
Tamara Ecclestone, socialite: I’d be gobsmacked if people didn’t know the first two lines — ‘God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen’ — but, off the top of my head, I’m pretty stuck after that. How embarrassing.
Michael Howard, politician: I know the first verse, but as for the second, I usually need to be reminded of the first line — and then I’m OK. I don’t think we should get hung up on it, and I’m certainly not interested in new lyrics.
Jonathan Aitken, former Cabinet minister: I was made to learn the national anthem in the run-up to the Coronation, and I still know it. But as a boy I knew the old second verse, ‘Scatter her enemies’ and so on. I’ve always thought the second verse we use now doesn’t quite rhyme. ‘Reign’ and ‘Queen’ don’t rhyme at all, and neither do ‘cause’ and ‘voice’.
Stuck: Tamara Ecclestone
Remind me: Michael Howard
Yes! Jonathan Aitken
Sian Lloyd, television presenter: I would sing it happily, but I’d struggle with any of the words without a book. To be honest, Land Of Hope And Glory is better. I think that should be the anthem because it’s much more stirring. They did play it at the Jubilee — it was fabulous. 
John McCririck, racing pundit: ‘God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen …’ That’s about as far as I can get. Perhaps we should change the words. I don’t believe in God, so I’d change that part. 
Willie Thorne, snooker player: Whether I could recite the whole thing, I’m not so sure: ‘God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, something victorious, er … ’
Book needed: Sian Lloyd