1st official rendition of God Save the King sung at St Paul's Cathedral memorial service

By Karim El-Bar and Zuhal Demirci

LONDON (AA) - The first official public rendition of God Save the King took place on Friday at the end of a memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

With King Charles III now the monarch, the words of Britain's national anthem have changed from "Queen" to "King," and from "her victorious" to "him victorious."

The Royal Family were not present at St Paul's Cathedral for the hour-long memorial service, which was instead attended by about 2,000 people.

Prime Minister Liz Truss and other senior government officials, including ministers, did attend, however.

At the event, which was closed to the press with extensive security measures, Truss gave a brief reading from the Bible after an earlier meeting with the king Buckingham Palace.

The Bishop of London also addressed the congregation, who also heard a choir sing.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the most senior cleric in the Church of England, gave a blessing at the end of the service.

Many people were waiting outside the cathedral.

Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at Balmoral aged 96. She was Britain's longest-serving monarch, after reigning for 70 years.

*Writing partly by Gozde Bayar