Prince Philip: Hillsborough gun salute marks Duke's funeral
- Published
A two-gun salute was fired at Hillsborough Castle on Saturday
A two-gun salute at Hillsborough Castle marked Northern Ireland's tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh for his funeral on Saturday.
The guns sounded at 15:00 BST and at 15:01 BST, as a minute's silence was observed across the UK.
The same Lambeg drums that had once entertained the Queen and the Duke were later beaten in the prince's memory.
Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle on 9 April, aged 99. His funeral took place at St George's Chapel.
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster observed the silence outside Enniskillen Castle and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne stood in tribute to the Duke at police headquarters.
PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne alongside Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton and Chief Operating Officer Pamela McCreedy observe the silence
On Saturday at 19:00 BST, Lambeg drums were played briefly outside the gates of Hillsborough Castle as a mark of respect to Prince Philip.
The tribute had been planned in advance but the exact timing was not publicised to avoid a large gathering of people.
The drums were the same ones used in 1953 at Hillsborough to entertain the Queen and the Duke during their visit to Northern Ireland.
The encounter was captured on Pathé newsreel footage and later recreated for the Netflix series The Crown.
The scene with the Lambeg drums was recreated for an episode of Netflix series The Crown
At the time, the Queen was on her first visit to Northern Ireland since her coronation the previous month.
Film footage shows her smiling at the front door of Hillsborough Castle with the Duke of Edinburgh as two drummers play.
The drums played were the same ones used to entertain the Queen and Prince Philip in 1953
A number of tributes were also placed at the gates of Hillsborough Castle throughout the day.
A card left with a bunch of flowers said: "HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, thank you for your service and sacrifice."
Prince Philip's passing was also marked in Armagh at the Royal School where young people and teachers gathered to remember him.
The Royal couple visited the school in 2008. Many young people there have a special connection to Prince Phillip because they have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award - one of his most enduring legacies.
The silence was observed at Royal School Armagh
He set up the scheme in 1956 to encourage young people to volunteer, learn physical activities and skills and undertake an expedition.
In 2016, almost 1.3m young people were taking part in the scheme in more than 130 countries and territories worldwide.
A number of formal tributes were also laid at the gates of Hillsborough Castle throughout the day.
A card left with a bunch of flowers said: "HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, thank you for your service and sacrifice."
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Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, the Irish national flag, the tricolour, was flown at half mast on all state buildings on Saturday.
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A spokesperson for the Irish government said this was as a mark of respect and was customary on the death of a national or international figure.
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