Army cadets fire off Royal birthday salute

A 28-strong firing party from the Officer Training Corps at Leeds University gave the salute in the Museum Gardens in York.

A total of 21 rounds from four guns were fired. They started on the stroke of noon and followed at 15-second intervals to mark the anniversary yesterday.

York is one of 12 saluting stations in the UK.

The others include London, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, although York is the only one in the North of England.

The light field guns employed for the Royal salutes previously saw service in the Falklands and latterly in Afghanistan.

The right of a saluting station was granted to York to commemorate the 1,900th anniversary of the city in 1971.

The discharge of cannons as a form of salute is almost as old as the artillery itself, although Royal salutes are relatively modern.

The first military regulations governing the firing of salutes were made in 1827.

The Board of Ordnance ordered that 41 guns were the correct Royal salute when fired from St James's Park or the Tower of London.

During the present reign, Royal salutes have also been fired on the birthdays of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and, until her death, the Queen Mother.