Questions remain on whether Queen’s funeral will mark national holiday in Canada
Posted September 12, 2022 9:31 am.
Last Updated September 13, 2022 12:12 pm.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An update to this story is available here as Justin Trudeau officially announced a federal holiday to mourn the Queen.
Two more Commonwealth countries have announced they will mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II with a public holiday, but there is still no word whether Canada will follow suit.
Both Australia and New Zealand announced residents would get a one-time national public holiday later this month to mourn the Queen.
Canada announced its plans for a major memorial next Monday, the day of the funeral, with a commemorative ceremony, a military parade, and gun salutes in Ottawa. But no details have been unveiled on a national holiday.
Some speculation is that a declaration of a public holiday could be made during a special session of the House of Commons on Thursday that will honour Queen Elizabeth.
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British officials announced on Saturday that the Queen’s state funeral would take place at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19. Before the date of the funeral was announced, Privy Council President Dominic LeBlanc said it’s important for the members of the House of Commons and the Senate to have an opportunity to honour the Queen’s service to Canada.
The Manual of Official Procedure for the Government of Canada says the prime minister should declare a national public holiday on the day of a monarch’s funeral. However, it notes that it is not binding on the prime minister to follow through with this.
Canadians were previously given a day off to mourn King George VI following his sudden death in 1952, the last time a monarch passed away.
The protocol calls for 10 days of mourning following the Queen’s death, and Parliament is set to reconvene for the fall sitting on that same day. It was not immediately clear whether that schedule would still go ahead.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese says his country’s holiday will coincide with a National Day of Memorial for the monarch on Sep. 22. New Zealand says it will hold a public holiday on Sep. 26, along with a state memorial service in the capital city of Wellington.
New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern said Elizabeth was an extraordinary person and many people would appreciate the opportunity to mark her death and celebrate her life.
“We need to acknowledge that this is currently here, a one in 70-year event,” says Ardern. “The Queen was our sovereign, our head of state, and made an enormous contribution to New Zealand.”
She also said she will be leaving her country this week for Britain to attend the funeral.
King Charles III was proclaimed Canada’s new head of state on Saturday at a ceremony that included heraldic trumpeting, a 21-gun salute and a moment of remembrance for his mother. He also became head of state in 13 other countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
With files from The Canadian Press and Alex Bloomfield
