Gun salute to celebrate Queen's 86th birthday Hundreds of people gathered for a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park to honour the Queen. The salute was performed by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, using 80 Irish draft horses to pull six First World War-era guns into position. It is one of six royal events marked annually with the traditional gun salutes. This is a special year for The Queen as she also celebrates her Diamond Jubilee.