King’s Birthday, Kiwi Style

This year, on the 5th of June, New Zealand will be officially celebrating a ‘King’s Birthday Weekend’ for the first time in over seven decades. With the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II, this public holiday acknowledges the birthday of King Charles III, who was born on November 14, 1948. Winter may not seem like the best time of year for a public holiday, but it coincides with the northern hemisphere’s summer, when the British mark the occasion.

Up until 1937, Commonwealth countries celebrated the monarch’s actual birthday, but when George VI came to the throne, this posed a problem for Britain. King George VIs birthday was December 14, a rather chilly time of year in Britain, and rather close to Christmas. To separate the two celebrations, and to have the birthday weekend at a warmer time of year so it could be enjoyed more fully, the official holiday was shifted to June. New Zealand followed suit, but to tie the holiday in to a long weekend, The Sovereign’s Birthday Observance Act 1937 officially legislated the celebration day to be the first Monday of June.

Apart from a long weekend, where Kiwis traditionally head away for a break, New Zealand celebrates its monarch’s official birthday in other ways. One of these is a dramatic 21-gun salute, an honour reserved for the Sovereign, designated members of the Royal Family, and Heads of State. Gun salutes stem from the traditional naval practice of warships firing cannons to show their heaviest weapons of war were empty, and the ship was therefore not hostile, and posed no threat.

Another important part of our King’s Birthday Weekend celebrations is the announcement of the King’s Birthday Honours list. This list recognises and honours New Zealanders who have served and achieved in extraordinary ways. Apart from a small group of honours, considered personal gifts from the monarch to an individual, all awards are made on the advice of the Prime Minister. Honours are presented to recipients by the Governor General, unless a member of the royal family is on hand to do this.

What makes the King’s Birthday Honour list so special, is anyone or any organisation can nominate a recipient for consideration. Advice on how to make a nomination is available from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet through their nomination guidelines.

If you plan to nominate a person for an honour, it is important to get to work on the process smartly because the nomination should be made while the nominee is still in office, and if possible, 12 months before they are likely to stand down.

While working your way through the nomination procedure (which should be confidential to the nominators, and not disclosed to the nominee), the following tips can be helpful:

Form a small group or committee to quietly canvas support among your organisation or community for the nomination.

Delegate individuals of the committee to research different aspects of your nominee’s achievements such as their history and participation in your organisation, offices they have held, any awards they have received at a local or national level, conferences or celebrations they have instigated or led, differences they have made within and also beyond your organisation, personal sacrifices made, and the lives of those they have impacted. Include letters of support for your nominee from well know public figures who are aware of their work.

Once you have gathered your research, don’t be afraid to engage a professional editor or writer to compile your nomination. This can make a real difference to the way it is received.

Far from being a relic of a colonial past, a monarch’s birthday celebration is a time for Kiwis to take pride in the presence of their own defence force, and their own givers and achievers. It is also a time for families to come together over festive food, and to spend memory-making holidays.