O King of kings, Whose reign of old
O King of kings, Whose reign of old. William Walsham How* (1823-1897)
This hymnological curiosity was commissioned for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897. It was included in a pamphlet published for the occasion, ‘to be used in all Churches and Chapels in England and Wales, and in the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, upon Sunday the Twentieth day of June, 1897’ (Berwick, on the border between England and Scotland, was technically in neither country at that time). It skilfully contrasted the power of the King of kings with the grandeur of the British Empire. God was the subject of these lines (stanza 2 lines 7-8):
’Tis Thou hast dowered our Empire’s throne With countless years of...
If you have a valid subscription to Dictionary of Hymnology, please log inlog in to view this content. If you require a subscription, please click here.
MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "O King of kings, Whose reign of old."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 17 Jul. 2025.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/o/o-king-of-kings,-whose-reign-of-old>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "O King of kings, Whose reign of old."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed July 17, 2025,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/o/o-king-of-kings,-whose-reign-of-old.