King's Birthday

For over a hundred years, the birthday of the reigning King or Queen has been celebrated in June each year in both Britain and New Zealand. New Zealand celebrates this holiday because the King is the head of state of New Zealand.

New Zealand’s form of government is known as a constitutional monarchy. The King’s official representative in New Zealand is the Governor-General who carries out some political duties on behalf of the King, such as opening Parliament and presenting honours to the people who have been awarded them. On the King’s Birthday, the King's Birthday Honours List, which is a list of New Zealand people who have earned a special award that year – is released.