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CEREMONIAL GUNFIRE RANG out across the UK today to mark the accession of King Charles, as he paid tribute to his mother Queen Elizabeth on the first anniversary of her death.
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun Accession salute in London’s Hyde Park, followed by a 62-gun salute from the Tower of London.
Guns were also fired from Edinburgh Castle in the Scottish capital, Cardiff Castle in Wales, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.
Commemorations of the queen’s death were low key today, with the king – who is at his sprawling Scottish Highland estate of Balmoral – not expected at any official engagement.
In a short statement, the 74-year-old British head of state recalled the “great affection” for his mother, her life and public service.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” he added.
He and wife Camilla attended Crathie Kirk, the late monarch’s place of worship near Balmoral, for private prayers and a moment of reflection.
Charles, dressed in a red tartan kilt, talked to well-wishers outside the church after the event.
“I saw the funeral procession go past last year, it’s a sad day for everyone,” Ross Nichol, a 22-year-old student from nearby Ballater, told AFP.
“She did a lot of good things and she had a standing in the world,” added German tourist Nicole Hoppe.
“We feel a little bit sad and sentimental for her.”
The queen, who was on the throne for a record-breaking 70 years, died on 8 September, 2022 at Balmoral aged 96 after a period of declining health.
Flowers were left at the gates of Balmoral, while crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace and floral tributes were also left.
Throughout her reign the queen did not publicly mark her accession, as it was also the anniversary of her own father King George VI’s death in 1952.
Elsewhere, the king’s eldest son and heir, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, marked the anniversary at a small private service at St David’s Cathedral in west Wales.
The couple posted a message on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Today we remember the extraordinary life and legacy of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all miss you. W & C”.
William’s estranged younger brother, Prince Harry, was in the UK for a charity event and was spotted today visiting his grandmother’s final resting place at Windsor Castle.
“As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away,” Harry told the charity event yesterday evening.
“She would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her, and that’s precisely why I know exactly one year on that she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together.”
Elizabeth’s death was a seismic event in British life.
For most Britons alive, the queen was the only monarch and head of state they had ever known.
During the 10-day official mourning period, tens of thousands of people queued for up to 25 hours to file past her flag-shrouded coffin as it lay in state in Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament.
Even more packed the streets of London and the route west to Windsor Castle for the state funeral, which was beamed around the world to a television audience of millions.
The queen was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, Windsor, alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in 2021, her father and mother and the ashes of her younger sister, Princess Margaret.
Earlier this week, the UK government announced that a national memorial to the late monarch will be commissioned “in due course”.
In London yesterday, there were mixed views about Charles’s first year.
Some felt he had been right not to introduce sweeping reform too early.
“He’s got a hard act to follow but he will I think change things,” Joanne Hughes, 61, told AFP outside Buckingham Palace.
Others were indifferent about the new king – and the monarchy in general.
“The monarchy is dying,” said nursing student Mimi Jaffer-Clarke.
“If he wants it to not die, then he needs to try to get the younger generation to like him – and we just don’t.”
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This is only the tip of the iceberg to the abuse the Iranian people suffer under the Islamic regime especially women and minority groups! Hopefully one day this nation will be free from the terror of their government. Rest in peace Mahsa Amini.
The wonderful Iranian people have been living with this insanity since 1979.We have neighbours who fled Iran at that time ,they were given the choice or conversion to Islam or a bullet in the head .
Remember that time the Bankers were pissed off with an Iranian leader who nationalised Iranian Oil for the benefit of Iranian people, that was weird…… I wonder how that went?
It’s almost as weird as the way thejournal.ie and the AFP are brilliant at reporting on public protest against governments who do not comply with Bankers policy agendas, in resource rich far flung nations…… But these “NEWS” outlets seem to struggle to notice or report on widescale public protests against the harmful effects of Bankers monopolistic policies (SDGs, ESG, UN Agenda 2030 etc.), when they take place in Germany, France, Italy and Netherlands.
@Special_Ed: Your comparing marbles and rocket ships. Ridiculous comment
Power to the women there. RIP to the victims.
Religion poisons everything.
@Allora: extremist religion poisons everything
@Melissa OHara: no. All religion.
@Dearbhla O Reilly: this is incorrect. Here’sone example as to why you are wrong:
Those who practice the catholic religion today are mostly respectful and decent people. Their religion is a guide for how they can live their life in a positive and loving way. I know this as an atheist who’s parents are dead sound and I’ve done ok for myself.
@Paolo Fandango: I should have added ‘who’s parents are catholic and dead sound’
@Paolo Fandango: thats not an example. That’s an opinion. Amazing how mamy believers of Religious doctrine seem to have difficulty separating things like belief, opinion, example, fact.
@Paolo Fandango: ye taking the p I s s or wha?
@Allora: Religion poisons everything.
@Paolo Fandango: most people who practice most religions are mostly respectful and decent people, it is not just a catholic trait. In fact most religions teach the common theme of loving thy neighbour as thyself or doing to others as they would wish do to themselves and, ironically, you could be practicing the basic teaching of many religions and not just one. It is the few individuals, whether it be priests or nuns or fanatics, that destroy the reputation of all religions yet we may practice the fundamental teachings without being in the institution.
So awful in this day and age.. Between this diabolical situation and the Russian war and climate change Humanity is at a cross roads.. May we all do the right thing..
That title is such poor English
@Fintan O’Halloran: I don’t follow you ?
@Gerry Campbell: Would you following follow him though?
Someone will be along in minute to blame the US for this.
@John Black: Now that you mention it..
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/31/690363402/how-the-cia-overthrew-irans-democracy-in-four-days
Imagine they had a morality police here lol
dear john black as an Iranian we believe American and democrats and ayatollah BBC are to blame .back in 1979 and even before that .they help current regime to come to the power and since they have taking advantage of every country in middle east because of their created regime as an enemy,and they don’t care about democracy and close their eyes to what’s happening in Iran now .
Almost 70 years ago Billy.
@John Black: The effects of which are still being felt today.
have your say