An Olympic first for the reign of King Charles

When “God Save the King” was played at the Paris Olympic Games, it was an Olympic first for the reign of King Charles.

As Great Britain brought home their first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games, the British athletes stood on the podium for the national anthem in Team Eventing and Cycling.

For the first time since 1948, “God Save the King” was played at the Olympic Games. At that time, King George VI – King Charles’s grandfather – was on the throne.

For decades, when British athletes watched the Union Jack be raised in the air, “God Save the Queen” played, as the monarch for over 70 years was Queen Elizabeth II. The Paris Summer 2024 Olympic Games are the first Olympic Games to be held since the 2022 death of Queen Elizabeth II, making it the first time “God Save the King” could be played at the sporting event.

Great Britain ranks seventh in the medal count behind the United States. America has three gold medals to the UK’s two. Japan leads all countries with six gold medals.

In the overall medal ranking, the United States is leading with 20 medals. The home team, France, is in second place with 16 medals. Great Britain has a total of ten medals so far.