Gun salutes fired across UK to pay tribute to Prince Philip
FLAGS TO FLY HALF-MAST ON ALL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS UNTIL FUNERAL
Gun salutes echoed around the United Kingdom yesterday as the military paid solemn tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip after his death aged 99.
Coordinated 41-round salutes to the former Royal Navy commander were fired at one round per minute from 12 noon in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as at naval bases, from ships at sea, and in the British territory Gibraltar.
The number of shots fired — the longest salute used according to military protocol — has been fired in the past to mark the deaths of queen Victoria and wartime prime minister Winston Churchill. Similar salutes were also held in Canberra and Wellington, as the queen is head of state in Australia and New Zealand.
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 husband of 73 years as her “strength and stay” throughout her long reign.
Flags are flying at half-mast on government buildings and will do so until the morning after his funeral. A two-minute silence was held ahead of Saturday’s Grand National, the country’s showpiece horse race.
Respectful silence
At the Tower of London, a crowd of more than 100 onlookers kept a respectful silence as they watched the Honourable 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”. The well-rehearsed protocol for the duke’s death — codenamed “Forth Bridge” — includes the recall of parliament tomorrow. British television stations meanwhile cleared their schedules for special broadcasts looking back on his life.
Monarchs, heads of state and prime ministers across the world, past and present, have sent heartfelt tributes following the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.