21-gun salutes mark special royal occasions throughout Sweden, referred to as a "Kunglig Salut" (Royal Salute). The number of rounds fired in a salute depends on the place and occasion. The basic salute is 21 rounds. However, when a birth takes place within the Royal House of Sweden, and the child is the firstborn to either the reigning monarch or to the heir to the throne, an extra 21 rounds (for a total of 42) are added to the normal salute. In all other births 21 rounds are fired.