The history of the Queen’s Birthday public holiday suggests most Australians can still expect a day off in early June, even if the celebration experiences a name change after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
And plans for a national day of mourning may not result in a public holiday shuttering businesses nationwide, according to the ‘Operation London Bridge’ documents covering how lawmakers should respond to the leader’s death.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, died overnight at age 96, after 70 years on the throne.
News of her death has sent shockwaves across the world, with her passing having both emotional and practical implications for nations like Australia.
As a constitutional monarchy, Australia now has a new head of state: King Charles III, formerly Prince Charles, who now serves as King of England.
A long-rehearsed plan of succession is now in effect, and Australia can expect changes to its currency, passports, and stamps to reflect the reign of the new King once he is coronated.
The changes will flow through to Australia’s small business community, which will likely deal with banknotes and parcels emblazoned with King Charles III’s visage in the years to come.
However, beyond a name change, it seems the long-held Queen’s Birthday public holiday is likely to stay in place.
That is because the date has already survived one royal succession.
Back in 1938, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, King George VI, maintained that the King’s Birthday celebrations should take place in the UK in early June — despite the fact he himself was born in December.
This is because he wanted his subjects to enjoy the festivities in England’s summer months instead of near Christmas, the ABC reports.
Australia, minus WA, followed the UK’s lead, declaring the second Sunday of June as the King’s Birthday public holiday.
And when Queen Elizabeth II took to the throne in 1952, the new monarch decided not to change the holiday tradition, despite her own birthday falling in April.
Given the precedent set by both his mother and grandfather, it seems unlikely that King Charles III will radically alter the UK’s celebratory date.
Should that tradition stay the same in the UK, Australia would have little reason to alter its own plans, either.
As for the legal underpinning of the public holiday in Australia: the Queen’s Birthday public holiday is considered a national public holiday under the Fair Work Act 2009.
Each state and territory is free to decide when it falls.
For every state and territory except Queensland and WA, the public holiday falls on the second Monday in June. This year, that was Monday, June 13.
Queenslanders can expect the public holiday to fall on Monday, October 3 this year, with Western Australians set for a day off on Monday, September 26.
According to the leaked ‘Operation London Bridge’ documents obtained by Politico last year, the Queen’s death is likely to result in a British state funeral ten days after her death.
The documents suggest the funeral will coincide with a national day of mourning, and two minutes of silence at noon.
But the British government does not plan to force employers to give their workers the day off to recognise the event, and no clear directions are given to how Commonwealth nations should respond.
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
