HUNDREDS of people gathered to celebrate the Queen’s birthday with a unique Royal Salute in York on Saturday.

The event saw the historical companies and guilds of merchants join forces with the Army to celebrate the official birthday of the Queen with a procession in traditional robes to the Museum Gardens, where soldiers fired 21 rounds from three light field guns at noon.

Representatives from the Merchant Adventurers, Merchant Taylors, Butchers and Merchants of the Staple of England and Fellmongers of Richmond were at the event, hoted by the Master of the Company of Cordwainers of York, as were York’s Guild of Scriveners, Building and Freemen.

The guns were brought into service for Royal Salutes in 2008.