Queen Elizabeth: A minute of silence to be held for NZ’s state memorial

A minute of silence for the death of Queen Elizabeth II will be held across the country.

The minute of silence will take place at the beginning of a state memorial service for the Queen, at 2pm on Monday, September 26. The day will also be a public holiday.

“The minute’s silence is a way for people, wherever they might be in New Zealand, to stand together to mark an extraordinary 70 years of service,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, in a statement on Monday afternoon.

Ardern is in London to attend the state funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II, who died earlier this month after seven decades as the British, and New Zealand, monarch.

The one-hour state memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington, would be broadcast and livestreamed, and two large screens will be erected on Parliament’s forecourt for the public to view the ceremony.

New Zealand will have a public holiday on September 26 to mourn the Queen.

STUFF/Stuff

New Zealand will have a public holiday on September 26 to mourn the Queen.

A memorial service will also be held at 5pm at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, Auckland, and at the same time at the Christchurch Transitional Cathedral.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern giving a press conference on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, London. Ardern would attend the Queen’s state funeral on Monday evening.

Iain McGregor/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern giving a press conference on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, London. Ardern would attend the Queen’s state funeral on Monday evening.

“During her reign, the Queen came to New Zealand on 10 occasions and visited 46 cities and towns. We know in communities across the country, people will want to show their respects to a monarch who dedicated her life to service,” Ardern said.

“She will continue to hold a special place in the hearts of many.”

Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson, who attended the Government’s weekly media conference on Monday in place of Ardern, said it was important for the Government to “provide this ability for the country to come together for one day” to mark the Queen’s service.

A state memorial service for Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, held at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul in Wellington, in April 2021. A service will be held for the Queen at the cathedral on Monday, September 26, 2022.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

A state memorial service for Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, held at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul in Wellington, in April 2021. A service will be held for the Queen at the cathedral on Monday, September 26, 2022.

“I know that many people will take the opportunities around the country to pay their respects.”

The Government would pass law on Tuesday to enact the one-off public holiday, he said.



https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129925694/queen-elizabeth-a-minute-of-silence-to-be-held-for-nzs-state-memorial

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