The Queen's Birthday holiday is a moveable feast in Australia and New Zealand.
It celebrates the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II who is not only Queen of the United Kingdom but also Queen of Australia and New Zealand, where the Queen's Birthday is a public holiday celebrated on a Monday but on different dates.
Having the Queen's Birthday on a Monday results in a three-day holiday weekend.
In New Zealand, the Queen's Birthday holiday occurs on the first Monday in June.
In Australia, except in the state of Western Australia, it is celebrated on the second Monday of June. The holiday also marks the start of the Australian ski season.
In Western Australia, the Queen's Birthday holiday is celebrated in late September or early October.
Constitutional monarchy
In point of fact, the Queen's birthday is neither in June nor October but in April.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the House of Windsor was born on April 21, 1926.
In 1952, on the death of her father, King George VI, Elizabeth succeeded to the throne and was to be known thereafter as Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth II continues to reign as Queen of Australia after a referendum in 1999 resulted in the retention of Australia's constitutional monarchy.
