Anthony Albanese’s plea to pause for a minute and remember the Queen

Anthony Albanese is encouraging all Australians to reflect on the dedication and service of Queen Elizabeth II by marking one minute’s silence at 11am on Thursday.

Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon arrive at Westminster Abbey for the Queen’s funeral. Picture: AFP

Anthony Albanese is encouraging all Australians to reflect on the dedication and service of Queen Elizabeth II by marking one minute’s silence at 11am on Thursday.

To mark Australia’s National Day of Mourning, the Prime Minister will attend a memorial service in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra.

The ceremony will also be ­attended by a premiers and first ministers, members of parliament, High Court judges and diplomats.

The service will begin at 11am and be broadcast across Australia, with performances by Anthony Callea and the Australian Girls Choir.

The Prime Minister encouraged Australians to take the ­opportunity to pay their respects.

“As we pay tribute to Her Majesty, I encourage all Australians to reflect on her remarkable life of dedication and service with one minute’s silence at 11am,” he said.

The ceremony will be centred around a 1954 painting of the Queen by Archibald-winning Australian artist Sir William Dargie, and surrounded by some of her favourite flowers, including golden wattle, sweet peas and dahlias.

The artist painted the Queen on her 1954 tour of Australia when she spent eight weeks visiting a number of state and territories, ­including small, rural towns.

The trip marked the first time a reigning monarch had set foot on Australian soil and occurred one year after she was officially crowned at a coronation ceremony in London’s Westminster Abbey.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Albanese reflected on the Queen’s love for Australia and deep ­knowledge of the Commonwealth country.

“Her Majesty had a deep affection with Australia and Australians have remembered her fondly since her passing,” Mr Albanese said.

“The Queen lived her life with an air of dignity and grace that will be remembered for centuries to come.”

The Albanese government has faced criticism from health and business groups that warn Thursday’s public holiday will throw surgery and medical plans into chaos and create operational complications for businesses.

However, Mr Albanese has played down the impact of the public holiday on the health ­sector, arguing it is important to commemorate the life of the Queen.