Photos: Gun salutes fired across UK to mark Prince Philip's death

London: Gun salutes echoed around the United Kingdom on Saturday as the military paid solemn tribute to Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip after his death aged 99.

The Death Gun Salute is fired by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery at the Parade Ground, Woolwich Barracks in central London. | Coordinated 41-round salutes to the former Royal Navy commander were fired at one round per minute from 12:00 (1100 GMT) in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as at naval bases, from ships at sea, and in the British territory Gibraltar.

The number of shots fired - the longest salute used according to military protocol - has been fired in the past to mark the deaths of queen Victoria and wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.

Members of Australia's Federation Guard fire M2A2 Howitzer ceremonial guns during a 41-gun salute held at Parliament House in Canberra. | Similar salutes were also held in Canberra and Wellington, as the queen is head of state in Australia and New Zealand.

Sporting events, including Premier League football matches and at English county championship cricket, held moments of silence as part of worldwide tributes to mark the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, during a period of national mourning.

The death of the duke, the longest serving royal consort in British history, on Friday is a profound loss for the 94-year-old monarch, who once described her husband of 73 years as her "strength and stay" throughout her long reign.

The Death Gun Salute is fired by the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery at Cardiff Castle, Cardiff in Wales. | Flags are flying at half-mast on government buildings and will do so until the morning after his funeral, the date of which has yet to be announced. A two-minute silence will be held ahead of Saturday's Grand National, the country's showpiece horse race.

Philip - who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in June - had been ill for some time, and spent more than a month in hospital from February 16 being treated for a pre-existing heart condition and an infection. Despite looking frail on his release from hospital on March 16, hopes were raised for his recovery.

But the queen announced Philip's passing "with deep sorrow" after he died peacefully on Friday morning at Windsor Castle, west of London. In pre-recorded comments aired in a special BBC programme on Friday, Philip's children reminisced about memories of their father, his long life and achievements.

The queen and the duke's two youngest children - Prince Andrew and Prince Edward - both visited Windsor Castle on Saturday morning. Prince Charles saw his mother was there on Friday.

The Death Gun Salute is fired by the 105th Regiment Royal Artillery to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland

The Death Gun Salute is fired by the 105th Regiment Royal Artillery at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland.

A girl holds a letter in front of flowers at Hillsborough Castle after Britain's Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, died at the age of 99, in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.

Britain's newspaper front pages on Saturday expressed an outpouring of grief, with The Sun tabloid running the headline "We're all weeping with you Ma'am". The Daily Mail splashed a picture of the queen looking at her husband along with the headline "Farewell, my beloved" on the front page of its 144-page souvenir edition.