The death of the Queen: Watch the Royal Navy mark Her Majesty's death with a 117-gun salute

Queen Elizabeth II – the United Kingdom’s longest serving monarch – died at the age of 96 in Balmoral, surrounded by her family.

Gun salutes took place across the country and onboard Royal Navy ships at sea to commemorate the life and death of the Queen.

In Portsmouth Naval Base, personnel from the Royal Navy conducted a 117-round salute at 1pm, with the sound of ordnance echoing across the harbour.

As the unmistakable steady beat of the cannon firing caught the attention of people across the city, the sombre event had passengers onboard passing ferries standing on deck, despite the wind and rain, to watch the tribute.

The First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said ‘the very sad news has touched every member of the Royal Navy’.

The admiral added: ‘In all our lives, her reign has been a constant, and her dedication and lifetime of service was utterly inspiring. She exemplified qualities we all aspire to.

‘As the daughter, wife and mother of Royal Naval officers, Her Majesty had a close affinity with the men and women in her Royal Navy and those who support us and she took close personal interest in their well-being, as well as that of their families. We owe her a debt we can never repay. May she rest in peace. God Save the King.’

The last British Sovereign to have seen action in battle was the Queen’s father, George VI, who fought in the battle of Jutland in 1916 as a 20-year-old Sub-Lieutenant.

Her Majesty’s late husband, Prince Philip, held a number of military ranks during his life and had a distinguished military career. After serving the Royal Navy during the Second World as a Commander, the Duke was made Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps and later Admiral of the Fleet.

The Queen’s son Prince Andrew served for over 20 years in the Royal Navy, where he saw active service as part of the task force that sailed to the South Atlantic to regain the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The Queen herself visited the Royal Navy in Portsmouth repeatedly throughout her seven-decade long reign, with her most recent visit being last May, when she bade good luck to the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth as it prepared to depart the city for her maiden operational voyage.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace and chief of the defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin paid their respects at the Tower of London.

Adml Radakin said the relationship between the Queen and the Armed Forces was ‘deeply personal’.

He added: ‘Through her own service in the Second World War, and as the wife, mother and grandmother of service personnel, the Queen understood better than most the burden and the glory of life in uniform.

‘In the coming days our sailors, soldiers, and aviators must perform their final duty to a much-loved Sovereign. We do so with admiration and gratitude.

‘For those of us who have the privilege to now wear the King’s uniform, there remains no greater honour than to serve our Crown and Country.’

Further events and commemorations have yet to be announced by the Royal Navy.