To celebrate Her Majesty’s 96th birthday, The Tower of London fired a 62-round gun salute.
With The Queen turning 96, one might wonder, why 62 rounds? Twenty-one rounds represent a royal anniversary while 20 rounds are fired to reflect the tower’s status as a royal palace and fortress. As for the other 21 rounds, those are for the City of London, symbolising the city’s loyalty to the crown.
The salute at the Tower of London is not the only salute in honour of Her Majesty’s birthday. There were two other salutes, including a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery Battery. There was also a 21-gun salute in Windsor Great Park, and at that firing on Windsor’s Long Walk, children were invited to fire the ceremonial cannons.
Because of the global health crisis, for the last two years, the salute in Windsor and at the Tower of London did not take place. This year, the salutes came back in full force as restrictions ease across the nation. Customarily fired both at sea and ashore, the salutes are seen as a sign of respect or welcome.
Military personnel from various locations participate in a royal gun salute when it comes to other special occasions or anniversaries. This can happen not only in London but at other saluting stations across the nation and abroad as a mark of respect and admiration for the sovereign. More recently, some might remember the gun salutes with the birth of several royal babies including Prince Louis of Cambridge who was born in 2018.
It is to note that 21 April is not the only day of the year for the salute. Gun salutes can be heard at least four times a year, the first being on Accession Day, 6 February followed by The Queen’s birthday. There are also salutes on Coronation Day on 2 June, and The Queen’s official birthday in the summer. Her official birthday is typically on the second Saturday in June.
