Over 100,000 people have signed a petition asking for a new bank holiday to honour Queen Elizabeth II. The campaign suggests holding a Queen Elizabeth II Day on September 8 – Queen Elizabeth II’s death day – to commemorate her passing and 70 years as the head of state of the United Kingdom.
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Celebrate the monarch
The petition comes after the people of the country want to celebrate and pay respect to the country’s longest-reigning monarch, who has been the face of Britain for as long as people can remember. John Harris, the creator of the petition, wrote:
I believe we need a new public bank holiday to mark our greatest Sovereign's lifetime; a Queen Elizabeth Day.
Queen Elizabeth II is our longest reigning Monarch, and arguably the Nations, and the World's most popular ever Monarch.
MailOnline confirms that the agenda of the petition is to come together and celebrate both the life of the Queen and gratitude for the Royal Family. Harris added:
In the words of [French] President Macron, “To you, she was your Queen, to us, she was the Queen… The most constant symbol of Great Britain.
The petition is signed by more than 100,000 people at change.org.
More bank holidays
Another reason why the petition has become so popular is so that people can get another bank holiday. King Charles III confirmed that Monday, September 19 – Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral day – would be a public holiday.
Many businesses and public bodies will remain close as a mark of respect for the monarch. Harris pointed out that Britain has the least number of bank holidays – just eight – as compared to other European countries.
France has 12, Greece has 14 and Sweden enjoys 16 bank holidays in a year. As such, adding a Queen Elizabeth II’s day would not only help in commemorating her life and giving people another bank holiday as well.
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