LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, passed away on Saturday at the age of 99.
As a signal of the start of the 8-day mourning period, 41 rounds of gun salute were fired into the air at a rate of one round per minute on Saturday afternoon in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, and wellington to mark the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.
According to the Royal Website, the event, which is of national importance to gun salute across the country, has been a tradition since the 18th century.
A similar gun salute was held in 1901 at the time of Queen Victoria’s death.
Australia also marked Prince Philip’s death by 41 gun salutes.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who served in World War II, said the gun salute was aimed at his affiliation with the Royal Navy.
According to tradition, Queen Elizabeth did not participate in any public or private events. The government will not be sending any new laws for her approval.
Related News: The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip Dies at 99
The Tenor Bell in Abbey will ring 99 times per minute, starting at 6pm on Friday, reflecting Duke’s lifespan.
Full details of the Royal Ceremonial Funeral are yet to be finalized.
Prince William and Kate have changed their Instagram and Twitter handles to tribute the Prince, reportedly prince harry and Meghan Markle will be traveling safely for the funeral too.
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