Australians will honour the life and service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a National Memorial Service to be held in Canberra on Thursday 22 September.
The service will be broadcast live across the nation, beginning with one minute’s silence at 11am AEST.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) will be joined at the Service by official representatives from around the country.
Attendees will include the Federal Leader of the Opposition the Honourable Peter Dutton MP, State and Territory First Ministers, Members of Federal Parliament, High Court Justices, and members of the foreign Diplomatic Corps.
Broadcaster Melissa Doyle AM will be the Master of Ceremonies, with Anthony Callea and the Australian Girls Choir – who sang for the Queen during her 2011 trip to Australia – performing as part the service.
The iconic 1954 Sir William Dargie painting of The Queen will serve as the centrepiece of the service. It will be surrounded by golden wattle—Australia’s floral emblem—and sweet peas and dahlias, some of The Queen’s favourite flowers.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened Australian Parliament House in May 1988 during her Royal visit with His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Service will be held on the National Day of Mourning which is also a one-off national public holiday.
Prime Minister Albanese said:
“The National Memorial Service is an opportunity for all Australians to pay respect to our faithful monarch for the past 70 years, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“As we pay tribute to Her Majesty, I encourage all Australians to reflect on her remarkable life of dedication and service with one minute’s silence at 11am.
“Her Majesty had a deep affection with Australia and Australians have remembered her fondly since hr passing.
“The Queen lived her life with an air of dignity and grace that will be remembered for centuries to come.”