Gun salutes fired across UK to mark Prince Philip’s death
Gun salutes echoed around the UK on Saturday as the military paid solemn tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip after his death aged 99.
The coordinated 41-round volleys for the former Royal Navy commander were fired at a rate of one per minute from 12:00 (1100 GMT) in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as at naval bases, from warships at sea, and in the British territory Gibraltar. Similar salutes — the most according to military protocol — were also held in Canberra and
Wellington, as the queen is head of state in Australia and New Zealand. At the Tower of London, a crowd of more than 100 onlookers kept a respectful silence as they watched the Honorable Artillery Company fire shots on the banks of the River Thames. One onlooker, Heather Utteridge, said she had come to show her respects “for a superhuman.”
“It’s a great loss to not just the Queen, but actually to the country. He represented stability for all of our lives,” the 65-year-old said. Alexander Beaten, 30, said the royal couple, who had been married for 73 years, had been an
integral part of British identity and culture.
“We can disagree with the government, we can disagree with so many things that the country may or may not do, but the Queen and Prince Philip are just such a constant,” he said.
Sporting events, including Premier League football matches and at English county championship cricket, held moments of silence as part of worldwide tributes to mark the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, during a period of national mourning.
The death of the duke, the longest serving royal consort in British history, on Friday is a profound loss for the 94-year-old monarch, who once described her loyal husband as her “strength and stay” throughout her long reign.