Queen's Birthday
(Redirected from Queen's Official Birthday)
Categories: Public holidays in Australia
The Queen's Birthday or Queen's Official Birthday is celebrated as a public holiday in several Commonwealth countries (usually Commonwealth realms). It is also celebrated in Fiji, now a republic. The exact date celebrated varies from country to country, and is usually not the current Queen's actual birthday, April 21. When the reigning British monarch is a King, then it is known as the King's Birthday or King's Official Birthday.
In the United Kingdom, the day is now the second Saturday in June. In terms of ceremony, it is marked in London by Trooping the Colour. Honours are announced in the Birthday Honours List. In British diplomatic missions the day is treated as the National Day of the United Kingdom. Although not a public holiday (as it is not a working day), Civil Servants are given a "privilege day" at this time of year, which is merged with the late-May bank holiday to create a long weekend.
In other Commonwealth Realms it is sometimes a public holiday. Most Commonwealth Realms release a Birthday Honours List at this time.
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Australia and New Zealand
Australia (except Western Australia, which has a Foundation Day a week earlier), has the Official Birthday on the second Monday in June. The Governor of Western Australia proclaims the date Western Australia will observe the Queen's Birthday based on school terms and the Perth Royal Show (source Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, Labour Relations division). There is no firm rule to determine this date before it is proclaimed, though it is typically the last Monday of September or the first Monday of October. The only civic occasion of note associated with the day is the release of the "Queen's Birthday honours list", on which new members are inducted into the Order of Australia. It also serves as the opening weekend to Australia's snow season, though it is quite common for there to be no skiable snow until much later.
In New Zealand, it is the first Monday in June, and owing to the climate being colder than Australia's, does usually serve as the opening weekend to the country's snow season.
Observing Queen's Birthday in Australia and New Zealand on the actual date of the Queen's birth would be impractical as it would be too close to ANZAC Day four days later and the Easter long weekend.
Canada
According to the legislation creating Victoria Day, Canada celebrates the Queen's official birthday in May. It is always celebrated on the Monday on or before 24 May in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. For Canadians it is often considered the beginning of summer, when theme parks, outdoor pools and other summer activities are opened or begin.
Other countries and territories
The Queen's official birthday is a public holiday in Gibraltar and Bermuda, and most other British overseas territories. In the Falkland Islands, the actual day of the Queen's birth, April 21, is celebrated, as June is a winter month in the Islands.
It ceased to be a public holiday in Hong Kong after the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997.
Fiji also still celebrates the Queen's Official Birthday, along with the Prince of Wales's Birthday, even though the Queen ceased to be head of state in 1987.