Here’s Why 38 Rounds Were Fired During the Queen’s Funeral Procession
By ANDREW AMELINCKX
History - Science
As Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession left Buckingham Palace on September 14th at 2:22 p.m. to go to Westminster Hall, a blast from a field gun went off in Hyde Park. In honor of the queen, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired round after round with their 13-pound field guns.
In Hyde Park, the shots fired continued to salute the late queen. The people in charge of the field guns back in World War l had a special relationship with the queen through her father, King George VI, and just after World War ll, he requested a ceremonial artillery battery dressed in traditional style.
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery’s inaugural use was in honor of the king’s birthday in 1947, and since then, the troop has fired their field guns for state visits, the opening of Parliament, the queen's birthday, and more special events. On September 14, the King’s Troop fired their field guns once a minute, until the queen’s coffin arrived at Westminster Hall at 3 p.m. sharp.