Essex gun salute marks proclamation of King Charles III

The Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, based at Colchester Garrison’s Merville Barracks, fired 21 rounds at 11am from Colchester & East Essex Cricket Club.

The ceremony took place to mark the proclamation of the country’s new King, following the death of Her Majesty the Queen – and his mum - at the age of 96.

During the salute, the Airborne Gunners, who are trained to provide offensive fire support to 16 Air Assault Brigade, used L118 105mm Light Guns.

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Major Douglas Collett, who is the battery commander of the Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, oversaw today’s salute.

He said: “To be involved in this was a tremendous honour, the salute to mark the proclamation of a new monarch.

“This was a historic moment and a once in a career opportunity for myself and my soldiers.

“It is a historic tradition and dates back to the era where ships would come back into port and empty all their guns by firing them.

“There would be seven guns on a ship and they would fire three rounds, each coming to 21, and today we had three of our guns replicate that.

“It’s always a pride to wear the Queen’s, now the King’s, uniform, and it was a tremendous honour to be the battery commander for this occasion.

“And all my soldiers feel the same honour.”

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Mayor of Colchester, Tim Young, who will lead a proclamation reading outside the town hall tomorrow, was present at this morning’s gun salute.

He said: “We are really honoured in Colchester to be a saluting station because of the status of being the British Army’s home in East Anglia.

“Therefore, an occasion like this is momentous and it was my honour and privilege to host it here in Castle Park.

“When I was elected as Mayor, I knew we would have the Platinum Jubilee, I didn’t expect city status, but we got that as well, and now we’ve had this momentous event.

“It has been an absolute three months where our feet have not touched the ground but it is a real honour and a privilege.

“This is the year which will go down in history and be very memorable for Colchester, for some good reasons and some not so good.

“Losing the Queen has obviously had a massive impact on all of us.”

The poignant and momentous spectacle lasted roughly 15 minutes and came a day after a 96-gun salute was also held in the city in honour of the Queen.

Each shot, heard by the crowds of spectators which had gathered outside the perimeter of the cricket field, marked every year of the famous figurehead’s life.

Having reigned for a staggering 70 years - a milestone celebrated throughout the country earlier this year - Her Majesty was the country’s long-serving monarch.