As part of the celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of the British conquest of Gibraltar, British royal navy carried out a change of guard at the Residence of the Governor in Gibraltar on Tuesday.

British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon witnessed a mock terrorist attack from the towers of the Admiralty in the Rock, accompanied by British Governor Sir Francis Richard, and the Principal Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana.

Hoon arrived Monday together with British Royal Navy Commander,Admiral Alan West, to commemorate the Aug. 4, 1704 conquest. As part of the activities, frigate "Grafton" also arrived in the Rock,the nickname of Gibraltar, on July 31.

The celebrations include a private reception for local personalities and a popular festival on the central square of Casemates.

In early July, the presence of Tireless, a nuclear-powered submarine, at the Rock's naval base provoked a formal complaint from Spain.

The Spanish government was also unhappy with the visit several days earlier by Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth's daughter, to the British colony.

Gibraltar, whose 30,000 people want the territory to remain under Britain's rule, has been the source of a centuries-old dispute between Britain and Spain.

Spain retains a claim on the tiny outcrop, while Britain insists that any change of Gibraltar's status should be subject to the consent of its people.

Gibraltar was officially ceded by Spain to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713. And Wednesday marks the 300th anniversary of the capture of Gibraltar in 1704 by British troops.

Source: Xinhua