Re: 22 Gongs (The Queen)


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Posted by Geraint Lewis on May 09, 2007 at 19:46:08 from 194.164.38.65 user Geraint_Lewis.

In Reply to: Re: 22 Gongs (The Queen) posted by Jenny Berki on May 05, 2007 at 19:41:54:

Hi Jenny

According to various internet sites everyone seems to agree that gun salutes started once canons were placed onto warships. Quite why or when seems to be a matter of conjecture.

One reason seems to be that early canons took a very long time to reload. Peace seeking ships would therefore discharge them as they approached each other, or when entering a foreign port. This was intended as indisputable evidence that they had disarmed themselves and had peaceful intent.

Initially the salutes may have been one way - for a long time all ships were required to salute the Royal Navy, but not vice versa. There don't seem to have been international agreements on this, more a general acknowledgment that the RN was the indisputable naval superpower and it was in everyone elses' interests to acknowledge it.

Returning salutes - where each ship returned the shots in rotation - seems to have come in around 1885, when Britain suggested a formal agreement on this to the USA and the idea then became a universal agreement. The number 21 seems to have been enshrined as the "Royal Salute" for heads of state at that point also. (Apparently it is officially known as a "Royal" salute even in republics, despite the lack of monarchy).

Nobody seems to know for sure why that number was chosen. Suggestions include that early salutes were only 7 guns, either due to the number of canon on the average ship, or because of the Biblical significance of the number 7. If so, at some stage the number was tripled. It is only one of a number of different salutes in use - in India there were apparently salutes of various numbers for different levels of Maharajas under British rule, for example, whilst warships would give a lesser number of salutes to their admirals and so on. Even the Royal Parks in London are accorded salutes, which is why on the Queens birthday they fire 41 guns - 21 for her and 20 for the various parks in which the guns are being fired. So far as I can tell the maximum number possible on any occasion in London is 101, but I'm afraid I've no idea how that total is reached.

Regarding Missee Lee, I'd always thought she got 22 gongs as a declaration of sovreignty by the Three Islands people, who were effectively saying they were independent, recognised no other sovreign, and considered themselves superior to all the others: especially the European Powers who were dominating the China Seas and coastline at the time. If so, there must have been an element of bluster involved, as Missee Lee herself clearly acknowledged that the one thing her Islands couldn't do was ignore Britain.

As for the ten gong Taicoons, that is surely a simple way of indicating that they were independent yet subservient to Missee Lee in the Three Island set up.

That seems to be the way of it, but perhaps someone else will have a more definitive answer.

Geraint


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