An Accession Day is an anniversary of the day on which a monarch succeeds to the throne upon the death of the previous monarch. It was inuagurated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, and was first observed as a day of national celebration on 17 November 1570. The inhabitants of Berry Pomeroy in South Devon still commemorate old "Queene's Day" with a special church service and bonfire. The Accession Day of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is 6 February. On this day, it is customary for all Government and Public buildings in the UK to fly the Union Flag.

Accession is also a term for the process by which a state becomes incorporated into a federation, for example the joining of countries into the European Union. Accession Day marking entry into the European Union of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta was 1 May 2004.

Sources

• Burke's Peerage and Gentry

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