Queen’s Birthday
The Queen’s Birthday is a holiday observed in various ways across the world. It is generally celebrated in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in Saint Helena, the Falkland Islands, Tuvalu, the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Anguilla (Public holiday)
British Virgin Islands (Public holiday)
Cayman Islands (Public holiday) Show allIn each of these places, there may be customs and traditions unique to those locations. To further complicate the celebration of this holiday, there are essentially two different days on which the Queen’s birthday is celebrated: her actual birthday on April 21st, and her official birthday celebration on the second Saturday in June.
The History of The Queen’s Birthday
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21st, 1926. This day is celebrated in the United Kingdom every year, as well as in other countries. However, in the UK, there is also a second holiday celebrated.
This day falls on the second Saturday in June and was created due to the potential for inclement weather during April. In 2012, the Queen celebrated her six-decade reign with a Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday as well.
Queen’s Birthday Celebrations Around the World
It is almost impossible with an article this size to list every single way the Queen’s Birthday is celebrated, not only in the United Kingdom but around the world. We simply do not have the space to cover all that information.
We also skipped Canada’s celebration of this holiday because we already covered that in our article for Victoria Day. However, with all that being said, we can present an overview of some of the common celebrations of this holiday around the world. Let’s take a look at them as we conclude this article.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the Queen’s Birthday is “officially” celebrated on a designated Saturday in June, although there are other celebrations on the date of her actual birthday as well (April 21st).
The official celebration usually includes a Trooping the Colour ceremony by the regiments of the British Army. This military parade and Queen’s procession begin at Buckingham Palace and continue to Horse Guards Parade.
Australia
On the second Monday in June, this public holiday is observed in all Australian states and territories. It is marked with community events, fireworks, parades, and other such events. It is also a day when the Queen’s Birthday Honours List is announced, celebrating and recognizing the contributions of Australians.
New Zealand
Observed in New Zealand on the first Monday in June, this public holiday includes fireworks, concerts, and parades held all over the country. Because of its place on the calendar, it gives many Kiwis the chance to enjoy a three-day weekend.
Other Celebrations
The Queen’s Birthday is also celebrated in Saint Helena, the Falkland Islands, the Cook Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Belize, Papua New Guinea, and Belize. Most of these holidays occur on the second Saturday in June, with the exception of Belize, which observes the holiday in April.
Note: In the future, the Queen’s Birthday celebrations may be altered due to the fact that Elizabeth II died on September 8th, 2022. Going forward, some of the public holidays celebrating her birthday may be kept, removed, or altered as the governments of the countries that observe this holiday see fit. This is something that should be noted for anyone wishing to observe this holiday in the future.
Anguilla (Public holiday)British Virgin Islands (Public holiday)Cayman Islands (Public holiday) Show all
