Will Australians get a public holiday after the Queen's death?
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday, Australians could get a public holiday.
This will most likely be announced in the coming days.
Plans for Australia following the death of the British monarch were contained in a brief prepared for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier this year, and a national day of commemoration in the form of a public holiday was likely, it reportedly confirmed.
The plans were shared with Commonwealth countries, including Australia, and were revealed by The Weekend Australian in June.
According to the documents, Mr Albanese was to be informed of the Queen’s death about one hour before a public statement from Buckingham Palace, which came at 3.30am AEST.
Following the news of Her Majesty's death, Mr Albanese revealed on Friday morning he would travel to London in the coming days.
He and Governor-General David Hurley — who will travel in different planes — will attend the Queen's funeral and also meet King Charles III. Their spouses or partners will most likely attend too.
This was outlined in the proposed brief, which said an additional "10 to 12 notable Australians" would most likely also be invited to the funeral. Who will attend has not yet been announced.
Plans for public holiday to be announced
A national day of commemoration would be declared by the Prime Minister, according to the plans.
This would coincide with a memorial service which would become an Australian national holiday, if that was what was decided.
Whether or not Australia does adopt a new public holiday is "completely up to the government," Constitutional law expert Professor Luke Beck told Yahoo News Australia.
General Hurley reportedly said plans for national mourning would be announced in the coming days.
In the UK, there will be an official mourning period of 10 days. However, this will not be the case in Australia.
Mr Albanese on Friday wore a special black tie while addressing the nation as he paid tribute to the monarch.
It's been reported that the staff of recent prime ministers and governors-general have carried the same black tie to be worn immediately after the news is received.
Will the Queen's birthday public holiday change?
Following the death of the monarch, most changes happen automatically. This includes The Queen's council becoming the King's council, Professor Beck pointed out.
Not only that, but the Queen's Birthday public holiday celebrated in June by Victoria, NSW, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, and the Northern Territory will become the King's Birthday public holiday, but the date will likely remain the same.
"[The public holiday] isn't actually on the Queen's birthday," Professor Beck said.
"So, the fact that Charles' birthday is different makes no difference. Presumably, it'll still be on the same day."
Read more coverage of the Queen's passing:
Prince Harry misses final moment with Queen: 'Very sad for him'
Royal Family forced to delete tweet about King Charles after Queen's death
Last photo of The Queen: Royal seen smiling days before death
The Chaser divides opinion by mocking Queen's death: 'Too soon?'
Queen Elizabeth death: The protocols the royal family must now follow
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