21-gun salutes and half-mast flags: Why Britain dey mourn dia royals dis way?

Like many tins wey involve di British Royal Family, di sad occasion of di death of a monarch dey ruled by traditions and conventions.

Following di death of Queen Elizabeth di second on 8 September, dem declare period of royal mourning wey go last until seven days afta her funeral.

Hia na di history behind some of di traditions wey dem dey use to mark di death of Britain longest reigning monarch, many of which don become popular now around di world.

Flying flags for half-mast

One of di first official ways to mark di period of mourning na to fly flags at half-mast for goment buildings and dose wey dey associated to di Royal Family.

While dem dey use di term half-mast, di flags actually dey fly at two-thirds di way up di flagpole.

Dis na tradition dem believe don dey since di 17th Century - by lowering di flag, one open space for symbolic "invisible flag of death" above di normal flag.

Di practice bin start as a tribute to di death of a captain or a senior officer on top ship. Di rest of di crew go mark di loss by lowering di ship flag.

However, dat rule no apply to di Royal Standard, dem dey fly di flag to symbolise di presence of di sovereign.

E no dey ever fly at half-mast because di monarchy dey continuous - upon Queen Elizabeth II death, Prince Charles, her eldest child, automatically become King Charles III.

Oda flags for di UK go fly at half-mast until 08:00 di day following di Queen State Funeral.

Di only exception go be di day of di Accession Council on 10 September wen His Majesty Di King dey formally proclaimed.

On dat day, di flags go fly at full-mast for several hours to mark di occasion before dem return am to half-mast.

Gun salutes

Anoda tradition wey dey associated wit royal mourning na gun salutes.

According to British Army historians, di practice start for di 15th century wen warships wey visit foreign ports go discharge dia guns out to sea to signify say dem dey come wit peaceful mind because dia weapons dey empty.

By 1730, di Royal Navy don already begin use gun salutes to mark some occasions, although e no become mandatory for di Royal Family and oda heads of state until 1808.

Complex rules dey wey dey govern di number of shots, e depend on wia dem dey fire dem from and di occasion.

For 1827, di Board of Ordnance order say 41 guns na di correct Royal Salute wen e dey fire from one of London Royal Parks or from di Tower of London.

But on some occasions and for some locations dem dey increase am to 62 guns.

Dem don fire gun salutes to mourn di death of Queen Elizabeth II and to mark di accession of King Charles III.

On 9 September, di day afta di Queen death, dem fire royal gun salute for London for Hyde Park, wit one round fired for each year of di 96-year-old former monarch life.

Ringing of bells

Church of England churches, chapels and cathedrals ring dia bells di day afta Queen Elizabeth di second die.

Di death of di Sovereign na one of di rare occasions wen dem dey sound fully silent bells - one technique to create echo na by fitting pads to both sides of di bell clapper.

But bells dey later ring louder to celebrate di new king.

For England, di practice date back to at least di 7th Century as e dey mentioned for di writings of di monk di Venerable Bede about di death of Hilda of Whitby wey live during dat period.

One tradition wey dey unique to di Royal Family na di ringing of di Sebastopol Bell for Windsor Castle.

During di Crimean war for 1856, dem capture di bell from di Russians and take dem from di Church of di Twelve Apostles for Sebastopol to di royal palace.

Di day afta di Queen death, e ring once for every year of her life, one tradition accorded only to senior members of di Royal Family.

Di last time e ring na to commemorate di death of di Queen mother for 2002.

Notices for Buckingham Palace

A brief bulletin - one paper dem put for one small dark wooden frame - dey used to notify di public of key royal events like births and deaths for Buckingham Palace.

For births, dem dey put di frame for one ornate golden easel on di forecourt of di palace, inside di railings, but for deaths e dey usually fixed to di outside of di iron railings.

Di deaths of George VI, for 1952, and George V, for 1936, also dey announced dis way.