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POLL: Public holiday for the King's visit?

POLL: Public holiday for the King's visit?

Monday 17 June 2024

POLL: Public holiday for the King's visit?

Monday 17 June 2024


Since it was announced last week that the King and Queen will visit Guernsey next month, some people have suggested that the date should be declared a public holiday.

The royal couple will be in Guernsey on Tuesday 16 July - with events planned to focus on the St Peter Port town quay so members of the public can see them.

The date of their visit - their first since His Majesty ascended to the throne - coincides with the last week of the school term for most children in Guernsey.

While the College of Further Education has already finished lessons for this term, and the three private colleges are due to all end their term at the beginning of July the island's States run primary and secondary schools are all due to continue lessons until July 19.

With that in mind, and the understanding that there will be no directive to local businesses to change their working hours in anticipation of the visit, we would like to know your thoughts.

A number of public holidays are observed every year, including Liberation Day and New Year's Day.

Christmas Day and Good Friday (and all Sundays) are customary law holidays in Guernsey, while other dates like the early and late May and the end of August bank holidays are prescribed as public holidays by law. 

Decisions on declaring additional public holidays in Guernsey falls to the Committee for Economic Development.

It has previously estimated that the cost of adding a public holiday to the island's calendar costs as much as £600,000. This is made up through a combination of lost revenue and earnings, and expenses that business's and States departments incur. 

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Pictured: The States of Guernsey recognises a number of different public holidays each year. 

In recent years, Economic Development has agreed public holidays when significant events involving the Royal Family have taken place.

In 2022, an additional public holiday date was declared to mark the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The May bank holiday was adjusted to the beginning of June to create a four-day weekend for the Jubilee celebrations.

A further public holiday was observed in September of that year, after Her Majesty's death to enable people to watch her funeral. 

When King Charles III was crowned in May last year, an additional public holiday was declared then too.

His Majesty's coronation was held on Saturday 6 May, with Monday 8 May being designated a public holiday, along with 9 May for Liberation Day as is customary in Guernsey, creating another four-day weekend. 

Previous royal visits to Guernsey have been a mixture of public holidays or not. 

When the-then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall last visited in July 2012, it was not a public holiday.

When his mother, Queen Elizabeth II last visited it was on Liberation Day 2005, which was already a public holiday. 

READ MORE...

King to visit in July

FOCUS: Why is the King our Duc?

The King's visits

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