Source: Radio New Zealand (world)
New Zealand celebrates King Charles’ birthday on Monday with a public holiday – although his birthday isn’t actually until November. Photo: AARON CHOWN / AFP Explainer – New Zealand celebrates King Charles’ birthday with a public holiday Monday – even though his birthday isn’t until November.
Here’s what you need to know about what will be open and closed, your employment rights if you are working and why we celebrate the monarch every June, regardless of when their birthday is. So is the King giving me a day off work?
It is a public holiday, but some people may still have to work depending on their employer. Employees must get at least time-and-a-half their normal pay and get a paid day in lieu if a public holiday falls on a normal working day for them.
However, if you’re a contractor or working for yourself, you don’t get those benefits although you could still possibly take the day off depending on your circumstances. Read more about public holiday rules for employers here at Employment New Zealand.
Trading restrictions don’t apply on King’s Birthday as they do for Easter holidays, the morning of Anzac Day or Christmas. Shops, restaurants and cafes can be open as usual but it pays to check their specific opening hours beforehand as many may be closed.
Am I going to have to pay a surcharge when I get my long black in honour of King Charles? Well, you might. Surcharges are voluntary for businesses but many do add them on public holidays as they have to pay higher costs for employee wages.
Typically, surcharges run around 15 percent. Businesses are required to be transparent about what surcharge they are imposing whether it’s shown on a clearly visible sign, verbally or otherwise. They can’t sneak it on the bill after the fact, in other words.
You can file a complaint with the Commerce Commission if you feel misled by a charge or that it was excessive. Britain’s King Charles III smiles during an audience with Māori queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, at Buckingham Palace in London on 14 May 2026.
Photo: AARON CHOWN Who will get a King’s Birthday Honour this year? Will it be you? Dozens of New Zealanders will be given royal honours which will be announced on Monday for excellence in their fields.
It’s the second time each year honours are given out – they’re also announced every New Year’s Eve. Who decides who gets an honour? Can I nominate my mate Nigel? Give it a go! Anyone can nominate anyone living who they think deserves a Royal Honour by using this form. (However, don’t try to nominate yourself, which is not allowed and also kind of weird.
Maybe ask your mate Nigel.) The Honours Unit at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet processes between 800 to 1000 nominations a year, Blair Teesdale-Moore, senior communications advisor with the department, told RNZ last year. “The unit prepares a draft citation for each one based on the information in the nomination and letters of support,” she said.
The Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee then considers every nomination individually in a series of confidential meetings over several weeks. “As chair of the APH committee and the King’s primary advisor on honours matters, the prime minister advises the King on the final honours lists,” Teesdale-Moore said. “By long-standing constitutional convention the King of New Zealand acts on the advice of the prime minister – this includes the formal approval of New Zealand Royal honours.” Once the draft list is set, it is then given informal approval by the governor-general, run by potential recipients first – “a small number decline,” Teesdale-Moore said – and then it’s off to the King, who is the head of our honours system.
Britain’s King Charles III reacts as he plays a ukulele during a visit to Ards Allotments in Newtownards, Northern Ireland on May 21, 2026, on the final day of a three-day royal visit to Northern Ireland. Photo: TOBY MELVILLE / AFP So when is the King’s birthday, anyway?
King Charles III turns 78 on 14 November. Wait a moment, it’s nearly June. That makes no sense. It’s the weather’s fault, really. The tradition of celebrating the monarch’s birthday in the northern summer dates back hundreds of years, and is tied in with the Trooping the Colour ceremonial event held every June in London.
The ceremony of Trooping the Colour is believed to have been first performed during the reign of King Charles II from 1660 to 1685.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined by William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for a fly-past by the Royal Air Force during Trooping the Colour King’s Birthday Parade in London, United Kingdom on June 14, 2025.
Photo: WIKTOR SZYMANOWICZ / AFP In 1748, during the reign of King George II, the sovereign’s birthday first became a celebrated holiday. Trooping the Colour became tied in to celebrate the monarch, no matter when their actual birthday was.
Ever since then, the king or queen has basically had two birthdays – the real one, and the big old fancy military parade one. Perhaps that’s where the phrase “living like a king” comes from.
Trooping the Colour will be held in the UK on 13 June this year. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Copyright © 2026, Radio New Zealand • Britain’s royals remember Queen Elizabeth II on 100th birthday 30 Apr 2026 Senior members of the family attended several events to honour Britain’s longest-serving monarch, who died nearly four years ago at the age of 96.
Britain’s royals remember Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday Britain’s royals remember Queen Elizabeth II on 100th birthday Senior members of the family attended several events to honour Britain’s longest-serving monarch, who died nearly four years ago at the age of 96. • How to make the most of your annual leave this year 12 Nov 2025 How to use the fewest annual leave days, for the longest stretch of time off.
Plus, the key dates to be aware of. When are the public holidays in 2026 and how can I maximise my annual leave? How to make the most of your annual leave this year How to use the fewest annual leave days, for the longest stretch of time off.
Plus, the key dates to be aware of. • Are surcharges a double-dip? – Ask Susan 19 Apr 2025 RNZ’s money correspondent answers your questions.
Are surcharges a double-dip? – Ask Susan Are surcharges a double-dip? – Ask Susan RNZ’s money correspondent answers your questions. • UK radio station wrongly broadcasts that King Charles has died 21 May 2026 The Essex-based Radio Caroline has issued an apology saying it was due to a computer error in its main studio.
UK radio station wrongly broadcasts that King Charles has died UK radio station wrongly broadcasts that King Charles has died The Essex-based Radio Caroline has issued an apology saying it was due to a computer error in its main studio. • Trump won’t concede physical faults, but he’s hinting more at his mortality 27 May 2026 “I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” Trump mused during an event earlier this year.
Trump’s advanced age and threats to his life serve as reminders of his own mortality Trump won’t concede physical faults, but he’s hinting more at his mortality “I don’t know how long I’ll be around,” Trump mused during an event earlier this year. • King’s Birthday 2026: What’s open, what’s closed and how it’s decided who gets honours • Wellington councillor still at loggerheads with mayor over search and rescue • Budget 2026 a washout for struggling families, advocates say • Homelessness reaches highest levels in history, Community Housing Aotearoa report finds • Raising a left-handed child in a right-handed world for ad-free news and current affairs • Budget 2026 could be a tough pill for those feeling the pinch • No coronial inquiry for Norman Lee, who died after being locked up by son David Lee • Dame Lynda Topp blasts government in AMA speech • Climate change linked to rise in risk of premature birth – study • Media Minister Paul Goldsmith appoints Brent Impey as new RNZ chair