Queen’s Birthday in St. Helena
Queen’s Birthday was named as a public holiday in St. Helena’s 1945 Public Holidays Ordinance. The law changed in 2024: it now provides for a public holiday on the Friday following Remembrance Day to celebrate the King’s official birthday, so the former Queen’s Birthday is no longer the holiday specified in the current schedule.[1][2][3]
A change in the public holiday law
The Public Holidays Ordinance, 1945 listed the official birthday of the Queen among St. Helena’s public holidays. Its schedule did not set a particular date or say that the holiday fell on the third Monday in April.[1]
An amendment enacted in 2024 replaced the Queen’s official birthday with “Friday following Remembrance Day” as the public holiday celebrating the King’s official birthday. A commencement order brought the amendment into force on 31 May 2024.[2][3]
How the Queen’s Birthday was marked
St. Helena Government records show that Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday was marked in 2016 by a community ceremony at the Mule Yard. Girl Guides, Brownies, Rainbows, families and members of the public attended; the programme included speeches, a beacon lighting, the national anthem, birthday songs, a cake and a closing prayer.[4]
A separate official account describes a Queen’s Birthday Garden Party at Plantation House in 2017. The Governor gave a speech about the relationship between St. Helena and the United Kingdom, then presented honours and awards. Live music was provided by the Get Togethers Orchestra.[5]
What the law provided for workers
Under the 1945 ordinance, public holidays applied to the undertakings listed in its schedule: offices, shops, workshops and factories. The law provided for pay for workers in those undertakings. Where an undertaking opened on a public holiday, eligible employees who were not monthly salaried were to receive a paid day off later or an additional day’s pay. It did not require every workplace to close.[1]
Check opening hours with banks, shops or transport providers before you go. Ask locally about foods or customs. The 2024 amendment also means visitors should not rely on the old Queen’s Birthday label when planning around the current statutory holiday.[2][3]
Frequently asked questions
Is Queen’s Birthday still a public holiday in St. Helena?
What did the 1945 ordinance specify about the date?
The ordinance did not specify a date or a third-Monday-in-April rule.[1]
What happened at local Queen’s Birthday events?
Were shops, banks and buses closed?
The former ordinance covered offices, shops, workshops and factories, but allowed undertakings to open under specified pay or leave arrangements. Check schedules with banks, shops or transport providers before you go.[1]
Sources and references
Sources used for Queen's Birthday in St. Helena:
- Public Holidays Ordinance, 1945- St Helena Government
- Public Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024- St Helena Government Gazette
- Public Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 (Commencement) Order, 2024- St Helena Government Gazette
- St Helena Celebrates Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday- St Helena Government
- Governor Hosts Queen’s Birthday Garden Party- St Helena Government