Australians have been given a new public holiday, which will fall on Thursday, September 22, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has officially announced that the day will be called a “National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty The Queen”.
The holiday falls on this day, per the Prime Minister and Governor-General returning from London after they have finished attended to their international duties as “official mourners” for Australia.
The public holiday will be a one-off for 2022, to allow Aussies to mourn the loss of her Majesty and pay their respects.
On September 22 there will be a public holiday for the National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty The Queen.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 10, 2022
“I have asked Premiers and Chief Ministers that Thursday 22 September 2022 be declared a National Public Holiday in honour of the life and service of our late Queen,” Albanese said.
In a quirk of timing that will please Victorians in particular, who already have a public holiday for the AFL Grand Final on Friday, this one-off extra holiday will now become a four-day weekend.
A National Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am in the Great Hall of Australian Parliament House in Canberra and will begin with one minute’s silence. The service will be broadcast live across the nation.
The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday September 19 at 11 am local time, which is approximately 8 pm AEST that evening for Australians.
Image: Today Show
