It may have startled viewers of King Charles III‘s coronation to hear a song they were familiar with.
Throughout the historic ceremony, which was place in downtown London’s Westminster Abbey, there was a full choir and classical music.
However, the Champions League Anthem is a more well-known adaptation of the Coronation Anthem, Zadok the Priest.
Prior to King George II’s coronation in 1727, German composer George Frideric Handel created the song’s original melody.
It has been used at the coronation of every single British monarch since.
The song is traditionally sung just before the new sovereign is anointed, out of view, with holy oil.
And it was once again performed at King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation today.
Zadok the Priest lyrics
Zadok the priest
And Nathan the prophet
Anointed Solomon king
And all the people
Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
And all the people
Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced
And all the people
Rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced and said
God save the king
Long live the king
God save the king
May the king live forever
Amen, amen, alleluia, alleluia, amen, amen
Amen, amen, alleluia, amen
Champions League Anthem
They are the best teams
They are the best teams
The main event
The master
The best
The great teams
The champions
A big meeting
A great sporting event
The main event
The master
The best
The great teams
The champions
They are the best
They are the best
These are the champions
The master
The best
The champions
The Champions League Anthem was written in 1992 after Europe’s football competition between top-tier divisions was re-branded.
Coronation of King Charles III latest
Organiser Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) picked Zadok the Priest as the template piece which they felt would best fit the mood for the new Champions League.
Composer Tony Britten, who wrote the piece, told the BBC in 2020: ‘UEFA wanted this competition to be about the best of football, rather than the worst.
‘Some say the tune is nicked from Handel, but it’s not. It’s just the first writing string phrase, and the rest is me.’
But today, the real champions were Charles and Camilla who were crowned as His and Her Majesty – an event never seen before by the majority of the population.
Royal fans braved the weather to gather on The Mall and in nearby parks to cheer on the new sovereign and his queen.
Win VIP tickets to Frozen, luxury Afternoon Tea and tour of Theatre Royal Drury Lane in our Coronation competition
To celebrate the historic occasion of King Charles’ crowning, Metro has teamed up with The Lane to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a luxurious day out for four.
The day out will include:
- A sumptuous, Regency-themed Afternoon Tea
- Fascinating tour of the historic Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- VIP tickets to Disney’s Frozen – with star treatment before the show from a dedicated Red Coat Butler.
To enter simply fill out your details using the form below – and in the meantime, sign up to News Updates to get all the latest stories from Metro.
And if you want to hear about more fabulous experiences like this, sign up to The Slice, Metro’s exclusive guide to all the latest culture, food and events in London.
You have until 12 May at 5pm to enter, so make sure you sign up soon! Full T&Cs are here.
Good luck!