Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day

Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day was a one-off public holiday that occurred in New Zealand on 26 September 2022.

[1] South Canterbury Anniversary Day, which was due to be observed on 26 September in the Timaru, Waimate and Mackenzie districts, was moved to Friday 11 November.

[3] The Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day Bill was introduced in the New Zealand Parliament, a week later, on 19 September 2022.

Under the provisions of the act, 26 September 2022 was to be observed as a day of commemoration "in acknowledgement of the long and dedicated service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to New Zealand".

[11] A State Memorial Service for Queen Elizabeth II took place at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul at 14:00 and was televised and live-streamed.

[12][13][14][15][16] Music before the service included "Funeral March No 1" by Johann Walch, "Dido's Lament by Henry Purcell, "O Valiant Hearts" by Charles Harris, "Elegy (from A Downland Suite)" by John Ireland, "Canterbury Chorale" by Jan Van Der Roost, "Elegy" by George Dyson, "Only in Sleep" by Ēriks Ešenvalds, and "Solemn Melody" by Henry Walford-Davies.

After a procession of various representatives, the Sovereign's Collar of the New Zealand Order of Merit was received by the Acting Dean and placed on the Table of Remembrance.

[17] In the bidding, Canon Katie Lawrence, Acting Dean of Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, and Justin Duckworth, Bishop of Wellington, paid tribute "to a greatly loved Queen" for her "steadfast pilgrimage of faith", her "example of service", and for "the duty which she rendered unflinchingly to her country and the Commonwealth".

[17] She said:[18] In her role as Sovereign, the Queen supported over six-hundred charities, whose work provided comfort to the lonely, the sick, and the marginalised – and helped to protect our natural world.

She recognised extraordinary individuals from throughout the Realm of New Zealand, including those often hidden in our communities, who quietly commit their lives to the service of others.

In fulfilling those duties she inherited from her father – who she loved so dearly and lost so young – the Queen asked of us, simply, to have faith in her commitment, and to pray for her continued wisdom and strength.