When will gun salutes take place to honour new King Charles III? Where and what time

Britain will have a new monarch
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King Charles III will be proclaimed the next monarch of Britain this morning.

The Accession Council is meeting at the State Apartments at St James’s Palace currently.

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Following the proclamation of King Charles III, gun salutes will ring out in London.

The country has also entered a period of mourning following the death of the Queen.

Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday (8 September) evening.

She was at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the time of her death - and the Royal family travelled to the castle yesterday.

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A period of mourning has started in Britain and will continue until her funeral.

The exact date of her funeral has not yet been announced, but under Operation London Bridge plans it would take place 10 days after her death.

Tributes in the form of gun salutes and bell tolls took place yesterday (9 September) in tribute to the Queen.

Here is all you need to know:

When and where will gun salutes take place?

Gun salutes for the King will take place at 11am following the Proclamation of King Charles III.

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The Accession Council began to meet at 10am - and it was televised for the first time in history.

King Charles III will make a decleration and then swear an oath.

A gun salute will take place at Hyde Park and Tower of London at 11am.

When were gun salutes for the Queen?

Gun salutes will be fired in Hyde Park, Tower of London and at other stations today (9 September).

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The salutes will also take place at Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Woolwich, Cardiff, Belfast, Plymouth, Dover Castle, York, Cardiff Castle, Hilsborough Castle in Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Death Gun Salute took place at 1pm on Friday in London, around the UK and at saluting stations at home and abroad.

How many rounds were fired during the Queen’s gun salutes?

A 96 gun salute will take place at Hyde Park and Tower of London.

One round will be fired for every year of the Queen’s life.

The rounds will be fired 10 seconds apart.

A 96 gun salute will take place in Hyde Park on Friday. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)A 96 gun salute will take place in Hyde Park on Friday. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
A 96 gun salute will take place in Hyde Park on Friday. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

What will happen during the gun salute?

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In London, The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery will fire the Death Gun Salute in Hyde Park, while at the same time the Death Gun Salute will be fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC).

Some 71 horses will make their way into Hyde Park, of which 36 will pull six First World War-era 13-pounder Field Guns.

The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery is a British Army mounted ceremonial unit that fires royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, such as state visits and royal birthdays.

The HAC dates its origins to 1537, making it the oldest regiment in the British Army.

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It took over the role of firing gun salutes from the Tower of London in 1924.

Gun salutes are customarily fired, both on land and at sea, as a sign of respect or welcome.

Nowadays gun salutes mark special occasions on certain days of the year, many of them with royal associations.

The MoD said the tradition of gun salutes routinely being fired throughout the country to mark significant national events dates back centuries, and there are historical records of salutes taking place as early as the 14th century when guns and ammunition began to be adopted widely.

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Similar gun salutes were fired to mark the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and Winston Churchill in 1965.

Will gun salutes take place across the Commonwealth?

The Queen was not only the head of state for Britain, she was also the head of state for countries across the Commonwealth.

Including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

A 96 gun salute is due to take place in Wellington, NZ, today (9 September).

Gun salutes have also been fired in Australia outside Parliament House in Canberra.

When and where did bells toll for the Queen?

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Churches are being urged to toll their bells across England at noon yesterday (9 September).

The Queen was the head of the Church of England.

Bells will toll at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and Windsor Castle.

The Prime Minister and senior ministers will attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s in central London today.

How long is mourning period for the Queen?

There will be a 12-day mourning period for the Queen in the UK.

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Flags are being flown at half-mast and books of condolence have been opened for people to pay their respects.

As the Queen died in Balmoral, her body will lie in Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh, before being carried up the Royal Mile to St. Giles’s Cathedral.

What is the timeline of the Queen’s mourning period?

According to Politico, each of these 12 days following the Queen’s death are known as ‘D-Days’ with events taking place to commemorate the late monarch and enact plans for Prince Charles’s accession as King.

What events are cancelled?

As a mark of respect some events and activities will be cancelled until after the Queen’s funeral.

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The BBC will suspend all standard programming and offer coverage of the event.

Shops will close or will operate under reduced opening hours on the day of the Queen’s funeral, whilst all comedy events will be cancelled during the national mourning period.

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