Verse two of the "Official peace version, 1919" of God Save the Queen goes:
One realm of races four
Blest more and ever more
God save our land!
Home of the brave and free
Set in the silver sea
True nurse of chivalry
God save our land!
At first I thought the "races four" was a reference to a a racial theory that subdivided everyone in the world into four "races", but then the only was do do it came up with 3 (Ham, Shem and Japheth) or 5 (American Indian, Caucasian, Malay, Mongoloid, Negro) races. And anyways, the reference to "our land" in this verse makes me think the "races four" must have something to do with Britain in particular, rather than the whole Empire. ANyone know the answer to this?
In temporal order: Britons/Celts, Angles, Saxons, Normans.
You know, the ones that a white, imperial power would actually want to put in their national song!
We wouldn't really consider these "races" today, but rather "ethnic groups."
One realm of races four
Blest more and ever more
God save our land!
Home of the brave and free
Set in the silver sea
True nurse of chivalry
God save our land!
3
Of many a race and birth
From utmost ends of earth
God save us all!
Bid strife and hatred cease
Bid hope and joy increase
Spread universal peace
God save us all!
The second verse refers to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (Home of the Brave and Free, Set in a silver Sea), so I assume the "races four" are English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish.
The third verse refers to the British Empire (Of many a race and birth, From utmost ends of Earth) and here the reference to "many" races implies many more than four.
