Four-Year-Old Participates in King’s Birthday Cannon Lighting

The mother of a four-year-old boy, who participated in lighting a cannon during King Charles III’s birthday festivities, described the experience as “lovely.” Jo’s son, Oscar, was among 20 individuals selected on a first-come-first-served basis to ignite one of the cannons on Thursday, located on the Long Walk in Windsor, Berkshire. Chris Brown, the Town Crier for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, commented that it was “a fun tradition that gets the youngsters involved.” A total of 21 cannons were present, with Mayor Simon Bond igniting the initial one. Jo recounted that she and Oscar were simply strolling nearby “and we were lucky enough to be given a number and selected to light the last cannon.” “It was nice to see [Oscar] take part in something that’s part of history and celebrating the king,” she stated. She also mentioned that the cannons were “incredibly noisy.” “We were very grateful for the ear defenders,” she further remarked. Mr. Brown reported that the event proceeded “amazingly.” He commented, “When we have these traditions, such as lighting cannons for the King’s birthday, people come, and for different people its a different thing.” “Some people just enjoy the spectacle and the noise but some people really appreciate the fact that we’ve been doing it for so long,” he elaborated. He noted that the practice of firing cannons has a history spanning “hundreds of years.” Mr. Brown continued, “When the little kids can really come and start to see what traditions are like, and how fun they are, hopefully this’ll start a process that’ll lead them through a lifetime of enjoying great events.” He concluded by saying, “[It’s] part of what makes this country a bit special.” You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.