Rule Britannia was written to celebrate The Royal Navy becoming powerful enough to stop the barbary pirates from attacking British fishing vessels and coastal villages and selling men and women into slavery in North Africa.

This is the first anti slavery song . It helped to bring out our anti slavery law where the British navy tried to stop the slave ships leaving Africa. The same law that also bought slaves from the plantations to free them. The couldn't afford to free the white slave in the Arabic nations because their were toi many of them and it would be to expensive. There were not so many African slave. We were paying off the national debt for this act of Parliament until 2015.

"I think this might be the anthem" *cries in british*

Rule Britannia is a Patriotic song about Britain's history of naval dominance hence "rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves"

It's like a really big event every year it's harder to get tickets for the last day of the proms than it is to meet her Majesty the Queen 😂!

You think it’s the British anthem. 😂😂😂😂🇬🇧🇬🇧

There are three songs that bring out the British in everyone from these sceptred isles; Rule Britannia, Pomp and Circumstance and Jerusalem.

Britain's anthem is God Save the King/Queen

The intellectual capacity of Americans never fails to surprise me. 🤦‍♂️

These yanks just got colonised... Again. jk obvs

"I think this might be their anthem" And these people beat us in the revolutionary war smh.

Rule Britannia isn’t the British national anthem. That’s God Save the Queen (King when the monarch is male). Rule Britannia is a popular patriotic song. It’s a bit like My Country ‘Tis Of Thee in the US; not the anthem but a well-known patriotic song nonetheless. Side note, GSTQ and MCTOT have the same tune

#Information: Promenade concerts have a tradition going back to the 18th century. "The Proms" started in 1895 conducted by Sir Henry Wood and are an annual season of concerts held every evening from July to September The Proms have been performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London since the 1940s but over the last 30 or so years there have also been Proms in concert halls and parks around the UK. Giant screens are set up around the UK for people to watch the Last Night and join in the singing. The second half of the Last Night always features "Rule Britannia", "Land of Hope and Glory", "Jerusalem", "Auld Lang Syne", and the National Anthem ("God Save The Queen"). "Rule Britannia" is always sung by an operatic soloist - not necessarily from the UK (the great Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flores sang it in 2016 dressed in Inca costume).

Fair play for watching without doing any research up front. Genuine reaction, even if you were a tad bemused as to what is going on.

I'm surprised that you don't know this song.

bri-TAYNIER ?!? hahahahaa. this is a song..... its a bit more than just a song,its part of our pride at being British and celebrating our glorious and long long history.

To be fair it should be the anthem. Great video guys thanks ☺️

I love watching last night at the proms .... sing along every yr 💕

The crowds in the parks were County Down , Northern Ireland and Hyde Park in London both were watching on outdoor screens .🇬🇧

The proms is held each year from Jun to sepl when they have this giant Festival. Every one is welcome and Hyde Park is also crammed in front of a screen just being joyful and celebrating our country. To get a ticket into the hall it well nigh impossible!. So the poor among us go to the park. Worth watching!.🌹

Goosebumps always when I hear that song.

After 2 weeks of concerts at the proms the last night is full of patriotic songs and music

Brings tears of pride to my eyes...

Rule Brittania was written in the 18th century, for a play about King Alfred, who was King of Wessex and the Anglo Saxons ans is considered to be the first King of England, which he dominated by the end of his reign. He defended much of England from constant attacks, raids and invasions from the Vikings who were the largest slave traders in Europe, and with the Irish Kings had the largest slave market in western europe based in Dublin, Ireland. Alfred tried to develop an early navy and built larger ships to defend the coasts of England. This theme was used in the 18th century (1745) , when the UK was under threat from Spain and other conflicts with european powers, linked to the War of Jenkins Ear and the War of the Austrian Succession (also linked to the earlier War of the Spanish Succession). There was also trouble in the UK associated with the wider european succession issues...the Rising, or the '45 and tensions regarding the Hanoverian and deposed Stewart rule over the UK. At the same time Barbary pirates were also attacking the UK to raid for slaves who were then transported to North Africa and the Ottoman empire and sold into slavery and then trafficked throughout the world. This song harks back to Alfred defending England and exhorting the UK to develop her Navy against invasions centuries later. It also draws on the attacks from the Barbary slave traders and the subsequent action taken in the 17th and later 18th and 19th century to force Tunis and Tripoli amongst others to stop attacking and trading British slaves. This is what is reflected on when Rule Brittania! is sung today.

“This is The British national anthem” Me an American: “I wish”

This is not the anthem, this is an old patriotic song from when Britain was an empire. Their national anthem is "God save the queen". Greetings from Sweden.

Your blankness was entertaining.

Its takes place every Sept at the Royal Albert Hall,London.

The son never sets on the British empire 🇬🇧

I see this dude getting into it. Can't be helped. It's hard not to admire greatness and a song about greatness

"I don't know if this is in Britain...". lol. Rule Britannia, Royal Albert Hall, BBC Symphony Orchestra, a Royal Navy uniform from the time of Nelson, an English narrator, a caption saying 'Hyde Park, London' and thousands of Union Jacks... Hmmm... The clues are there methinks. Mind you, they didn't seem to be taking much in. I'm not sure I've ever seen two such blank looks. :)

😂🤣😃😅😆 The reactors had no clue what this was about.

No, this is not the British National Anthem...surprised you haven't heard of this patriotic British song before ....Also, having been clearly told that the orchestra was the BBC Symphony and that this was taking place in The Royal Albert Hall, in London, one of the most famous concert halls in the world, you still had some doubts about whether it wa or was not in Britain...How much information do you need to be given?

THIS WAS THE CHARTER, THE CHARTER OF THE LAND

This stirs up so much pride it can make you cry. If you had the misfortune of being subjected to a left leaning education from the mid 90's you will feel nothing.

All that unity, patriotism and people having fun. It's like you've never seen it before. You guys smell of liberalism lol. Thanks for your perplexed reaction, it was hilarious.

I’m not a fan of opera, but I do like the Last Night of the Proms, and especially this performance.

god save the queen is the national anthem and this is our patriotic song!(I'm a British and I know🇬🇧)

Unfortunately I wasn't alive when the amazing empire was alive but I am fortunate to be born in the uk and I am extremely proud and glad of what this beautiful nation accomplished and extremely embarrassed at what it is today

Lol the cheekiness of "We shall never be slaves"

"I think this might be there anthem, i'm sure about that" I guess they don't know about the God save the Queen : )

That’s British patriotism at it’s best 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves Britons never never never shale be slaves!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

RULE BRITANNIA is sang at the LAST NIGHT AT THE PROMS every year each singer puts something different to it

This is our great British patriotism

Rule Britannia is one of several patriotic songs sung annually at the Proms, other popular ones are “Jerusalem “ and “ Land of Hope and Glory”.

It was written in the first half of the 18th century. The Spanish had several victories over the royal navy and the Barbary states (yes Africans(, funded by the ottomans were coming to the south coast of England and kidnapping people for ransom or to use as slaves. This song was a morale booster for the people of England.

The other countries flags were England, Scotland and Wales, which make up Britain. Another Flag present may have been Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, a country of countries. :-)

Last Night Of The Proms is a massive British institution. The Proms season begins in July.

Rule Brittania, Brittania rule the waves, Britains never, never, never, shall be slaves🇬🇧

the BBC proms is a musical extravaganza that runs every year in the UK the last night is so popular that ticket prices rival top rock concert prices, in the summers they also do proms in the parks all over northern Europe and the UK come rain wind or sun with a picnic champagne beer or wine, normally in the evenings ending with a spectacular fire work display ending to Beethoven's 1812 overture even sitting on groundsheets in waterproofs or umbrella's if it is raining, it really is worth being on your bucket list as unforgettable experience, also the albert hall has presented rock concerts from many artists over the 20th century because of its natural amplifying sound to any type of music or song

In a million houses people like me are singing along. Its our day to remember we are a nation united. It's not our anthem it's on 9f 3 or 4 songs that everyone knows. Most are sung on this night lol, try Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory.

God Save the Queen is our national anthem, the henry wood promenade concerts are British and over 100 years old , they run for about 8 weeks over the summer and the last night is held in September at The Royal Albert Hall in London

Please react to "Land of Hope and Glory - Last Night of the Proms 2009". I think you'll recognize the tune in the chorus ;)

The other country flags …one, the Red Cross on the white background is the English, flag, the flag with the red dragon is the Welsh flag. A blue x on a white background is the Scottish flag. Together they form the Union Jack 🇬🇧 which is the flag of the United Kingdom. The performance is held at Albert Hall in London.

God save the Queen is the UKs national anthem.. Jerusalem is the English anthem and rule Britainia is the song for our empire

The Royal Albert Hall, where this performance took place, is located in London. The Proms are held every year from July through to 11th September; on the last performance of the year, it's known as "The Last Night of the Proms". No, it is our National Anthem, though it would make a great one - God Save the Queen is our anthem, although many people would like our anthem to be Jerusalem. People from all over the world try and get to attend these performances. Remember too, the United Kingdom is made up of FOUR separate countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and we each have our own flag - the English flag is a simple red cross on a white background. The Union Jack is a combination of our countries which make up the United Kingdom.

it is the uk war song

It’s all about banging the drums for Great Britain 🇬🇧

i think this might be their anthem she says while it says "hyde park, london" on the screen ^^

This song holds pride as it is an anti-slavery song. The British fought against slavery… and sent boats to patrol Africas coast to try to prevent slave ships leaving for America.

They do do not get it

GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - thats the anthem

Bro...must unlearn what you were tought in school to understand this tune. Bless up. As a musician i love how your head went where the notes went....yo learn up some of the other vids out there that will shatter the BS being fed in the US mainstream schools. Much love to you both.

This is an 18th century song but by the 19th century Britannia really did "rule the waves". And thank God they did. It was the might of the Royal Navy that stopped the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

National anthem really! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

This is not the anthem It’s god save the Queen (king when the monarch is male)

Britain’s anthem should be this song! I’ve had enough of people saying it’s racist because it says the word slave doesn’t make sense now it’s racist when it’s says we will never ever ever be slaves

not knowing your number one ally's national anthem. dear oh dear. Americans insular? now why would we think that?

It’s not our anthem but it bloody should be

Rule Britannia is an order rather than a statement, it is not saying that Britannia is the ruler of the waves but more so ordering Britannia to rule the waves.

The crowds in the audience will fly all types of flags! Obviously mostly the Union Flag or St. George’s Cross, since it is in England, but there were people flying the French, Italian, German and American flags in the audience. Whether you’re born in Britain or not, the proms are a true celebration of our culture and enjoyed by us and our friends from all around the world!

The one German flag

Rule Britannia is a Patriotic song

King William The Conquer banned slavery in Britain in 1102 and was reconfirmed by the famous Mansfield English High Court decision that found that as soon as a slave set foot on English soil they became free. In 1807 British legislation banned to slave trade right across the British Empire and 1833 legislation freed all slaves across the British Empire. In 1808 the British Royal Navy established an anti slavery squadron of ships to blockade slave ships operating out of Africa this squadron operated for more than a century. Britain has the proud history of ending the slave trade and making what had been normal practice for thousands of years to become totally unacceptable.

👁 am pleased to meet u both Britannia at ur service

Rule Britannia

Its the unofficial British national anthem.🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

I wish this was our anthem, god save the queen is bloody awful The last night of the proms is the culmination of an entire classical concert season, at the Royal Albert hall, which spans from July to September is have televised concerts too. When I played in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, ewe played a concert there every year and I was always involved and it was broadcast not just on the BBC (TV) but also BBC radio 3, and the BBC world service . Playing there was the highlight of the yea. It was great

The Charter of which she sings was created by William Ist ( The Conqueror ) & Abolished Slavery (Surfdom) across England from 1066 this later meant any Slave setting foot on Brittish soil was Immediatly Freed !!

The semi musical squeaks and farts before the reprise at 5:28 are the most British thing about this.

its not our national anthem its a patriotic song. although many brits think it should made our national anthem, currently god save the queen is our anthem

If I was leader I would change the anthem to this song

It's in the Albert Hall,annually.

You should try Jerusalem ( Englands unofficial anthem because of all the countries in the UK we do not have one ) at the last night of the proms . 2022 proms are this August and the last night at the proms is 10 September 2022 at 7:15pm UK time , might be on BBC America

The british anthem is god save the queen but England's anthem is called Jerusalem

its in britain at the royal albert hall

Can’t believe it

Love being British 🇬🇧

It's not the British anthem it's part of when Britain had the biggest empire

God save the Queen/King is our National Anthem

Britannia was a ship not just that the british flagship of the british empire

Performed at London's Albert Hall.

Rule Britannia, Jerusalem, Zadok the Priest and God Save the Queen

The anthem is God save the king/queen(whoever is on the throne at the time)

I loved watching their reaction so much. Tears rolling down my face! I'm subscribing to this channel. I love those 2

No hand on heart by Brits!

ENGLANDS unofficial anthem yes siree

wish it was our anthem god damn the queen but still like her

It's sometimes used as a secondary national anthem where playing god save the queen might offend people at a sporting event.