 |
| Photo: Sgt Randall RLC/MOD, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
The list of Flag days and Gun Salutes is released at the beginning of the year. Westminster Abbey publishes its schedule of bell ringing on a rolling 6 months in advance.
Which Royals get Bells at Westminster Abbey, Flag Day or 21 gun salute doesn't normally change year to year.
21 Gun Salutes are the standard. But there are circumstances in which the number of rounds is increased. In Royal Parks (e.g. Hyde Park & The Green Park) they add 20 rounds as they are a Royal Park. The Tower of London add 20 for being a Royal Palace, plus 21 for the “City of London”.
2023-2024
| Royal | Bells at Westminster Abbey | UK Flag Day | 21 Gun Salute | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Charles | yes | yes | yes | June/November |
| Queen Camilla | yes | yes | yes | July |
| Prince William | yes | yes | June | |
| Princess Kate | yes | January |
2022*
The first change (since I started recording this) came in 2022, as Westminster Abbey decided to only ring Birthday Bells for Queen Elizabeth & Prince Charles due to "financial strain."
The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport also changed their Flag Days in 2022 to just include Queen Elizabeth & Prince Charles.
| Royal | Bells at Westminster Abbey | UK Flag Day | 21 Gun Salute | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth | yes | yes | yes | April/June |
| King Charles | yes | yes | yes | November |
* The schedule for 2022 remained unchanged after Queen Elizabeth's death in September.
2018-2021**
From 2018-2021, there was no change, except for Prince Louis's addition following his birth & Prince Philip's removal following his death.
| Royal | Bells at Westminster Abbey | UK Flag day | 21 gun salute | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Elizabeth | yes | yes | yes | April/June |
| Philip* | yes | yes | yes | June |
| Charles | yes | yes | yes | November |
| Camilla | yes | yes | July | |
| William | yes | yes | June | |
| Kate | yes | yes | January | |
| Cambridge Kids* | yes | Apr/May/July | ||
| Harry | September | |||
| Meghan | August | |||
| Andrew | yes | yes | February | |
| Edward | yes | yes | March | |
| Sophie | yes | January | ||
| Anne | yes | yes | August | |
| Queen's Cousins | Various |
* Prince Louis was added in 2018 following his birth. Prince Philip was removed in 2021 following his death.
**In 2020, due to the Coronavirus, the 21 Gun Salute was canceled for all Royal Birthdays. And all Birthday bells ringing at Westminster Abbey were canceled for April 2020 - August 2021 birthdays. (But because Westminster Abbey published it's bell ringing schedule on a rolling 6 months in advance, we could see who was supposed to get Birthday Bells for much of that period.)
Why Prince Harry doesn't have any type of royal birthday bells, gun salute, etc...?
ReplyDeleteThe only grandchildren of the Monarch included are Will & Kate as the future King & Queen.
DeleteI'm surprised that Charlotte's gets Bells when Harry doesn't. As Harry is the second child of the heir where Charlotte is second child of the heir to the heir.
ReplyDeleteWhile she is ahead of him in the line of succession she is not a future monarch like George is.
Yeah. It is interesting. I think part of it is just them trying to keep the list short. They can't do everyone. But it will be intresting to see what happens as the Cambridges have their 3rd Kid and Harry gets married and becomes a full-time royal.
DeleteUpdate...15 September is Battle of Britain Day so the bells are rung for that...probably why there is/will never be mention of Harry getting bells. He's kind of getting them but not.
DeleteNo, you can't kind of get them. When there are two bell-ringing events on the same day, the bells are rung once, but both events get a acknowledged. For example: August 15th is Princess Anne's birthday & Assumption of the Virgin Mary, both get mentioned on the Westminster Abbey calendar.
DeleteHarry not getting bell rung on his birthday have nothing to do with it also being Battle of Britain Day.
In fact, I think it kind of says a lot that they choose not to make Prince Harry's birthday a bell ringing day. It wouldn't have required any extra cost or energy to have the bells on that day be for two events.
DeleteDon't George & Charlotte get 21 Gun Salutes?. I know I remember them getting some
ReplyDeleteRoyal Babies get 21 Gun Salutes when they are born.
Delete