SWELTERING temperatures this-afternoon brought the tourists out at the Tower of London—and the Big Guns. The Hon Artillery Company gave a 62-gun solute on the Thames waterfront by Tower Bridge at 1pm to mark the 56th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation
SWELTERING temperatures this-afternoon brought the tourists out at the Tower of London—and the Big Guns.
The Hon Artillery Company gave a 62-gun solute on the Thames waterfront by Tower Bridge at 1pm to mark the 56th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
It appears the Hon Artillery out gunned’ the King’s Troop in Hyde Park an hour earlier, who fired a mere 41-gun solute with their six 13-pounder First World War field cannon.
The additional 21 guns at The Tower signified that the Salute was fired from a Royal palace.
It was an added bonus for tourists and City workers on their lunch-break, watching the Hon Artillery celebrate the Coronation.
The big difference to 56 years ago was the weather, hot and sunny with lunchtime temperatures approaching 80 degrees (26c) as the cannon were fired.
Coronation day itself on June 2, 1953, was cold—it rained while the new queen reined.
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