Why won’t there be a public commemoration for the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death next month?

September 8 2023 will mark a year since the longest reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died surrounded by most of her family on the Balmoral Estate that she used to frequent in her lifetime. 

Though many of the Royals themselves will be coming together at Balmoral for a private gathering in memory of their mother and grandmother, some of the general public are wondering why there has not been an announcement of a public memorial for the Queen also.

Though at one point “celebrating” or commemorating the death of a monarch was considered an act of treason according to the Treason Act 1842, that was changed in recent years to instead focus on the act of celebrating a potential death of a monarch or esteemed public figure. The answer as to why there won’t be a public memorial is much more simple - the Royal family would rather keep it a private, family affair.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will mark the day “quietly and privately,” following a tradition set by Her Late Majesty. That seems to be a tradition that Queen Elizabeth II herself, who would extend her annual visits to Sandringham from the Christmas period through to 6 February so that she could privately mark the anniversary of her father George VI’s death.

That is not to say that there won’t be some form of public memorial dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II however - a permanent national monument to Queen Elizabeth II is being planned by the government and a commission will be established by the Cabinet Office and the Royal Household for ideas.

The Cabinet Office will also tighten their control for applications in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland that wish to use Queen Elizabeth II’s name, while the governments of Scotland and Wales will determine the applications in those areas. Only buildings, organisations and other places with strong royal connections will be granted permission to use the late queen’s name.

“The full title of Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be closely protected to preserve the rarity of the honour,” said a government spokesperson when the news was announced.