"Her Majesty The Queen's Birthday Recognized By The Navy"

Maritime Forces Pacific news release:

Monday, April 19, 2010

Her Majesty the Queen of Canada turns 84 on Wednesday, April 21, and in accordance with Navy ceremony Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships will “dress overall” from sunrise to sunset.

Dressing ship means that operational ships in port fly signal flags on a line over the masthead from bow to stern and with the Canadian flag at the tallest mast.

The Queen’s actual birthday is one of nine occasions in the year when the Canadian Navy Fleet “dresses overall”. The others are the accession of the reigning Sovereign (Feb. 6); Canada Flag Day (Feb.15); Commonwealth Day (2^nd Monday in March); Battle of Atlantic Sunday (1^st Sunday in May); The anniversary of the Naval Service Act of Canada (May 4); the official birthday of the reigning Sovereign (Monday preceding May 25); the coronation of the reigning Sovereign (June 2); the birthday of the consort of the reigning Sovereign (June 10); And Canada Day (July 1). The Union Flag (Union Jack) is flown from the mast head on Commonwealth Day and on the anniversary of the Statute of Westminster (Dec. 11).