london information / royal gun salutes

Royal gun salutes are fired to mark special occasions on certain days of the year. On these days salutes are fired from locations in London (and authorised stations in the United Kingdom) and the Union Jack is hoisted on government buildings.

Most royal gun salute days proceed as follows: the King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery makes a mounted charge through Hyde Park, sets up guns and fires a 41 gun salute. Then, later that same day, the Honourable Artillary Company fires a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London.

Accession Day Gun Salutes: celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the thrown, there is a 41-gun salute at 12:00 in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, held at 13:00.
When: 6th February, however, gun salutes are not fired on Sundays, so if the 6th falls on a Sunday, the salute will take place the next day.
Where: Hyde Park (opposite the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane) and the Tower of London
Station: Hyde Park Corner and Tower Hill

Queens Birthday Gun Salutes: celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's birthday, there is a 41-gun salute at 12:00 in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, held at 13:00.
When: 21st April, however, gun salutes are not fired on Sundays, so if the 21st falls on a Sunday, the salute will take place the next day.
Where: Hyde Park (opposite the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane) and the Tower of London
Station: Hyde Park Corner and Tower Hill

Coronation Day Gun Salutes: celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, there is a 41-gun salute at 12:00 in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, held at 13:00.
When: 2nd June, however, gun salutes are not fired on Sundays, so if the 2nd falls on a Sunday, the salute will take place the next day.
Where: Hyde Park (opposite the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane) and the Tower of London
Station: Hyde Park Corner and Tower Hill

Prince Phillip's Birthday Gun Salutes: celebrating Prince Phillip's birthday, there is a 41-gun salute at 12:00 in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, held at 13:00.
When: 10th June, however, gun salutes are not fired on Sundays, so if the 10th falls on a Sunday, the salute will take place the next day.
Where: Hyde Park (opposite the Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane) and the Tower of London
Station: Hyde Park Corner and Tower Hill

Queen's Official Birthday Gun Salutes: celebrating the Queen's official birthday, there is a 41-gun salute at 11:00 in Green Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London, held at 13:00. (Although The Queen was born on 21 April, it has long been customary to celebrate the Sovereign's birthday publicly on a day in the summer, when better weather is better. This means that the date can be moved - it is not on the same date each year!).
When: the second Saturday in June (12th June 2004)
Where: Green Park and the Tower of London
Station: Hyde Park Corner and Tower Hill

Other Gun Salutes: Gun salutes also happen when parliament is prorogued by the sovereign, on royal births and when a visiting head of state meets the sovereign in London, Windsor or Edinburgh.

The number of rounds fired in a Royal Salute depends on the place and the occasion. The basic Royal Salute is 21 rounds. In Hyde Park and Green Park an extra 20 rounds are added because they are royal parks. At the Tower of London 62 rounds are fired on royal anniversaries (the basic 21, plus a further 20 because the Tower is a royal palace and fortress, plus another 21 'for the city of london') and 41 on other occasions.

The Tower of London holds the record for the most rounds fired in a single salute - 124 are fired on 10 June when the Queen's official birthday (62 rounds) coincides with the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday (also 62 rounds).