Three hundred years ago when Britain's first standing army was formed, saluting was by removal of the headdress, and according to John Locke who witnessed a review of the Gards du Corps in Paris in 1678, a similar custom prevailed in the French Army also, for he recorded that 'The King passed at the end of the line as they stood drawn up, the Officers at the end of their companies and regiments in armour, with pikes in their hands, saluting him with their pikes, then with their hats. He very courteously put off his hat to them; so he did when taking his stand they marched before him.'

At some during the first part of the 18th century, however, the Coldstream Guards departed from this practice, for a Regimental Order of 1745 reads: 'The men ordered not to pull off their hats when they pass an Officer, or speak to them, but only to clap up their hands to their hats, and bow as they pass by.'

This may have started a practice or confirmed an existing one which spread to other regiments. In fact Dean Swift (1667-1745) had written:
      'His beaver is cocked; pray, Madam, mark that,
      No Captain of Horse ever takes off his hat.'
By the beginning of the 19^th century saluting with the hand, palm to the front, was well-established.

Saluting by firing
Have you ever observed that fired salutes, from the three vollies fired over a soldier's grave up to the Royal Salute of 21 guns, all comprise an odd number of rounds? Why is this so? The origin of the custom is lost in antiquity. One authority gives the reason that even numbers may have been considered unlucky.