Not long ago, the United Kingdom celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee for four consecutive days. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)
Today, most parts of Australia (except Western Australia and Queensland) are Queen Elizabeth II's birthday. As it was a public holiday, the public once again ushered in a long weekend.
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of Australia, as Australia is also a constitutional monarchy.
Australia's tradition of celebrating monarchs' birthdays has been more than two centuries old
In fact, Elizabeth II's real date of birth was April 21, 1926. But in Australia, there are three Queen's Birthday Days. In other Commonwealth countries, there are also several birthdays that differ from the Queen's actual birthday.
In the UK, the Queen celebrates her birthday twice a year, once on 21 April and once on the second Saturday of June, a day known as Queen's official birthday. On this day of the year, people will usher in a long weekend.
The tradition of a monarch's birthday being different from his birthday originated during the reign of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Edward VII's birthday is November 9, but the cold and wet winter is not conducive to celebrations. Therefore, after 1908, the British changed the monarch's birthday to June.
In Australia, official celebrations of the monarch's birthday began as early as the time of King George III. Arthur Phillip, then Governor of NSW, decreed a celebration on the birthday of George III on 4 June, and the tradition of celebrating the monarch's birthday has continued ever since then. Until elizabeth II's grandfather, George V, died in 1936, Australia celebrated on the day of the monarch's actual date of birth.
Today, most parts of Australia uniformly designate the second Monday of June as queen's birthday, which is also a public holiday in the rest of the country except Western Australia and Queensland, as it is a working day.
In Western Australia, as Queen's Birthday in other regions happens to be a local public holiday, Western Australia Day, it becomes queen's birthday in the region at the end of September or early October every year.
In Australia's neighbour New Zealand, Queen's Birthday is celebrated on the first Monday of June every year.
In Canada, the most recent Monday before May 24 each year is Queen's Birthday. If May 24 is Monday, this day is the official birthday day.
As for Hong Kong, Elizabeth II's real birthday was celebrated as birthday in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was not until the 1980s that the Queen's Birthday was changed to June.
In 1997, the Hong Kong government scheduled queen's birthday on Saturdays 28 June and Mondays 30 June. This year, Hong Kong held its last celebration of the Queen's Birthday.
The grand ceremony celebrates the Queen's "Platinum Jubilee"
Elizabeth II appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the same time as some important members of the royal family. (AP: Alberto Pezzali,)
Usually, the Queen holds a private event on her true birthday, rather than a formal celebration. But on this day, there are three salutes in central London: one in Hyde Park, once in Windsor Great Park and the third in the Tower of London.
In the United Kingdom, the Government will also publish the Birthday Honours List on the Queen's Birthday, announcing the names of new recipients and the titles they have received.
Like the United Kingdom, Australia will also publish the Queen's Birthday Honours on the Queen's official birthday, awarding medals of honor to more than 1,000 people from all walks of life who have made outstanding contributions to Australia. This year's Queen's Birthday Honours list includes several experts and officials who have made outstanding contributions to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's Queen's Birthday coincides with the "Platinum Jubilee" year, the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne, so the whole UK has a four-day holiday to celebrate.
In the parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne, people used different art forms to represent the important moments of the 70 years since the Queen's succession. (AP: Frank Augstein)
On 2 June, a traditional royal military parade was held in central London, and the Queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowd. The following day, a thanksgiving ceremony will be held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. On 4 June, the Queen joined other members of the royal family in the Jockey Club. On the final day of the festivities, concerts were held outside Buckingham Palace by the famous rock band Queen and singer Diana Ross, among others.
Crowds of people watching the concert in front of Buckingham Palace. (AP: Frank Augstein)
After the Queen and important members of the royal family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the planes of the Royal Air Force 'Red Arrows' air show team also pulled colored cigarettes over London, creating a festive atmosphere.
The celebration of the 70th anniversary of the passage through history at Windsor Castle reflects the Queen's keen interest in horse racing and horse breeding. (Reuters: Henry Nicholls)
It is worth noting that the celebration also used drones with colored lights to form different interesting patterns in the night sky, such as the silhouette of the queen's silhouette, a happy corgi dog (the queen's puppy is this breed) and a teapot that elegantly pours out tea.
The drones make up the classic silhouette of the Queen's head. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)