More than 100k sign petition for annual ‘Queen Elizabeth Day’ bank holiday in honour of Her Majesty
A PETITION has been launched for an annual bank holiday to honour the Queen.
More than 100,000 people have already pledged their signature for a national day to celebrate Her Majesty’s life.
John Harris launched the campaign on Change.org, calling for support of the proposed September 8 ‘Queen Elizabeth Day’.
Only 25,000 signatures were being sought but in just 3 days, the petition has garnered support from more than 112,000 people.
- The Queen arrived home at Buckingham Palace last night as she left Scotland for the last time
- Thousands of mourners lined the streets to see Her Majesty arrive back in London
- Meghan and Harry joined William & Kate for an intimate gathering to welcome The Queen’s coffin at Buckingham Palace
- Guns will fire every minute in a mile long procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall on Wednesday
- And Prince William and Harry will walk behind Queen’s coffin together in the procession
- Prince Harry and Andrew were BANNED from wearing military uniforms for The Queen’s coffin procession
- A guest list of 500 world leaders and VIPs invited to The Queen’s funeral was revealed
- Royal fanatics were the first in line to see The Queen lying in state
- Police ordered dedicated mourners to pack up their tents on The Mall ahead of The Queen’s funeral
In urging people to support the idea, John wrote: “Queen Elizabeth II is our longest reigning Monarch, and arguably the Nations, and the World’s most popular ever Monarch.
“In the words of President Macron, ‘to you, she was your Queen, to us, she was the Queen…The most constant symbol of Great Britain’.
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“She was indeed, an inspirational woman.
“Britain has fewer bank holidays than most European countries; France has 11 compared with our 8, Spain has 14.
“I believe we need a new public bank holiday to mark our greatest Sovereign’s lifetime; a Queen Elizabeth Day.
“A day for our Nation to come together and celebrate both the life of the Queen, and our gratitude for the institution of our Royal Family.”
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Reasons for signing the petition vary among its supporters.
Some people say they are signing in support of the Queen’s service while others confess they’d just like an extra day off work.
One person said: “As a mark of RESPECT to the great lady.”
Another wrote: “I believe out of respect we should have a day that honors her.”
A third person said: “She has been in my life since I was six years old.
She gave her whole life to this country so I think she should be remembered and a bank holiday in her name is a fitting way to do it.”
PAYING RESPECT
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to queue to pay their respects to the Queen.
Up to 400,000 people are expected to brave a 12-hour wait on the banks of the Thames to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s coffin as she lies in state in Westminster Hall ahead of her funeral on Monday.
The doors of the hall will not open until 5pm on Wednesday, but by 8am the line already stretched between Lambeth Bridge and Westminster Bridge.
The Government was so worried about the numbers that it sent out lengthy guidance about what can be carried into the hall, bathroom facilities for guests and the risk of having to wait through the night.
It is thought the queue might reach four miles up the Thames to Southwark Park in Bermondsey before the public are admitted to the lying in state.
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But among those already waiting, there was a sense that the least they could do was be there for a woman who they feel was always there for them.
The overwhelming sentiment among those waiting was a need to pay their respects, with many saying they had never really considered themselves royalists.