In Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Belize, the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and St Kitts and Nevis the King’s birthday is marked with a holiday.

New Zealand and most territories in Australia are given a public holiday in June to celebrate the occasion, although in Western Australia and Queensland it is marked in October due to clashes with other holidays.

In Canada the monarch’s birthday is celebrated as Victoria Day, and is held on Queen Victoria’s birthday, May 24, no matter when the current monarch’s birthday falls.

Belize, last visited by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2022, hold Sovereign’s Day in May, which is marked by parades, a cycling race and horse races arranged by the National Sports Council.

In other countries that celebrate the holiday is generally held at some point in the first or second week of June, with some British Overseas Territories such as Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and the Turks and Caicos Islands also marking the day.

However the monarch’s official birthday is not a bank holiday in the United Kingdom, but there is one good reason why not.