Gun Salutes Mark Queen's Coronation

The Queen was crowned on June 2 1953 when she was 27

Gun salutes will be fired in the capital today to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Queen's coronation.

She was crowned on June 2 1953 when she was 27, in a glittering ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Press Association report continues:

More than 8,200 guests witnessed the historic proceedings, and about 27 million people in Britain watched on television.

The Queen is set to become the longest reigning monarch in British history later this year.

On September 9, she will pass the record set by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.

Buckingham Palace has calculated that Queen Victoria reigned for 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes, taking into account 63 years, 15 leap days and the precise timings of her accession and death.

Today, soldiers from The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, the ceremonial saluting battery of the Household Division, will take up positions in Hyde Park.

Before their arrival, the Band of the Royal Artillery will play a selection of celebratory music close to the firing position.

Seventy-one horses will pull six First World War-era 13-pounder field guns into position in the park and a 41-gun Royal Salute will be fired at midday.

At 1pm at the Tower of London, The Honourable Artillery Company will fire a 62-round Royal Salute from Gun Wharf - with an extra 21 volleys for the City of London.