With royal families being one of the highest positions in many cultures, it makes sense that there are a number of great songs about royalty.
Today we’re going to celebrate with pop, rock, and country songs about what it means to be royalty. Whether you’re a king, queen, prince, or princess, we have a list of songs to help you find your anthem.
1. “Her Majesty” by The Beatles
Song year: 1969
“Her Majesty” is a 23-second long tune written by Paul McCartney. This song was released on the Abbey Road album. McCartney wrote this song to show how things have changed for people in power.
Let It Be is the last Beatles album to be released, but the Abbey Road album was the last album to be recorded. Meaning “Her Majesty” is the last Beatles song to be recorded. A finally short song dedicated to the monarchy.
Paul calls the Queen “her majesty,” as anyone would in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. However, this song describes how anyone should treat a girl—treating a girl like royalty and giving her a term of endearment for years to come.
2. “Killer Queen” by Queen
Song year: 1974
“Killer Queen” was written by Freddie Mercury and featured on the Sheer Heart Attack album. While the song may not be about Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. Queen has always been compared to the monarchy.
“Killer Queen” does not represent the monarchy; she’s an escort. The band mentions Marie Antoinette in the song, and she was known for her beauty and personality during the 18th century. No matter the type of woman, you’ll always be a killer queen.
3. “God Save The Queen” by Sex Pistols
Song year: 1977
“God Save The Queen” by the Sex Pistols is a song about rebelling against British politics. The title of this song comes from the British national anthem, which is also called “God Save The Queen.”
“God Save The Queen” isn’t about hating the royal family or the people of Great Britain, but it’s wanting a change in the regime. They want to move forward into the future instead of living in the past practice of the monarchy.
4. “Magic of Meghan” by Dry Cleaning
Song year: 2019
This song takes you through the love story of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. The idea of Meghan having magic is how her life went from being an actress to becoming the Duchess of Sussex.
While their love story may be magical to some, the song talks about how she gave up her royal title at the beginning of 2020. This song about royalty depicts the beginning and end of Meghan Markle’s royal status.
5. “Royals” by Lorde
Song year: 2013
Lorde is the stage name for Ella Yelich-O’Connor. She had a love for royalty members such as Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI of France, and Nicholas II of Russia. Songs about royalty have been mentioning many of these historical figures over the years. However, these royals gave Lorde her stage name.
“Royals” takes on the idea that she’s accepting her fate. Being royalty has always been hereditary. She empowers others by becoming the ruler of her own empire. She’s living her fantasy of being royalty, but she’s becoming her own queen.
6. “Castle” by Halsey
Song year: 2015
Halsey wrote this song to overthrow the ideologies of male domination. She implies that society wants to make her the queen, but a man is sitting on the throne. Patriarchal society places restrictions on women and how they can view themselves.
Unlike most societies, Halsey thinks of herself as the Queen. She uses different verses to explain how it feels when a woman is made to feel inferior. Storming the castle gives her the royal status of being a queen.
7. “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler’s
Song year: 1962
Duke is the title of a male ruler. Earl is a British nobleman. This title ranks above a viscount and below a marquess.
The verses include the narrator finding a girl and assuring her that she’ll be safe and protected if she has the Duke by her side.
Being a Duke doesn’t mean much if you don’t have a Duchess by your side. So he wants to find the girl he’ll make his Dutchess and know they’ll walk together through the dukedom. The dukedom is a paradise for the man.
8. “I’m Henry The VIII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits
Song year: 1965
The title of this song references Henry VIII, the King of England, with many wives. However, this song flips the story of Henry VIII on his head. The narrator marries a woman with many husbands.
9. “God Save The Queen” by Traditional
Song year: 1837
When Queen Victoria took to the throne in 1837, the song had previously been called “God Save The King.” This is the national anthem of Great Britain and has been used since Queen Victoria. The two anthems have the same melody, but the gender is different.
During the coronation, the crowd shouts the same lyrics in the song. “God Save The Queen” also plays when the newly crowned queen is wearing the crown and holding the Sceptre.
10. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears
Song year: 2013
Everyone has probably dreamed of being a prince or a princess. But unfortunately, only a few people can have that as a reality. Being the ruler of a nation can be an incredible gift, but it’s also something that people would kill for.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears For Fears talks about knowing that this dream is dreamt by all people but can only be attained by a few. Even though the royal family attains the throne by heredity, it doesn’t last forever.
11. “Lady Jane” by The Rolling Stones
Song year: 1966
Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII, is the subject of “Lady Jane” by The Rolling Stones. Historically, Jane was one of the only wives not to be executed. Unfortunately, however, she died in childbirth.
The names Jane, Anne, and Marie are mentioned throughout the song. Jane Seymour, Lady Anne Neville, and Marie Antoinette are the subjects of this song. These are historical names that coincide with the monarchy. The Rolling Stones pledge their love to Lady Jane throughout the song while briefly mentioning the other women.
12. “It’s Good To Be King” by Tom Petty
Song year: 1994
In this song, Tom Petty images how great it would be to be a king. He imagines himself in velvet, ruling over his own little town.
He states that being a king helps to make friends and meet girls. He hopes to find a queen who can’t run away. While the latter of these lyrics might be a little questionable, we must admit it would be good to be royalty.
13. “Kings And Queens” by Aerosmith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQCv80Ac3ls
Song year: 1977
This song goes back to medieval times, with lead singer Steven Tyler singing about lords and maidens and imagining what it would be like if he lived in that time.
The band, especially Tyler and Joe Perry (lead guitarist), was heavily into drugs when recording the album this song features on, Draw the Line. As a result, co-lead guitarist Brad Whitford determined the song’s melody. He stated in an interview that the song would have been much different if Tyler and Perry had been more present during the recording.
Best Songs About Royalty, Final Thoughts
Artists have been integrating history into their music for years. Mentioning past and present members of the royal family in these songs about royalty shows the depth that comes with thinking about the royal family. I hope you’ve enjoyed them.