17th June

1. 17th June

2. 17th June 1944

3. 17th June 1944 • On the 17th June 1944 Iceland became a republic, the nation's independence was formally completed. It was decided to create a Republic at a ceremony at Þingvellir on the birthday of JónSigurðsson, President.

4. Iceland

5. The Celebration • Today, Icelanders celebrate this holiday on a national scale. The celebration traditionally takes the form of a parade through each urban area with a brass band at the fore. Riders on Icelandic horses often precede the brass band and flagbearers from the Icelandic scout movement traditionally follow the brass band. • After the parade several speeches are held out in the open, including one from Fjallkonan (the woman of the mountain), clad in Skautbúningur, who recites a poem.

6. 1944

7. 1944 • The formation of the republic was based on a clause in the 1918 Act of Union with Denmark, which allowed for a revision in 1943, as well as the results of the 1944 national election. Although German Occupation of Denmark meant that the revision could not take place, and thus some Icelandic politicians demanded that Icelanders should wait until after the war. • The British and US governments, which occupied Iceland, at the time, also delayed the declaration by asking the Icelandic parliament to wait until after 1943. Although saddened by the results of the national election, King Christian X sent a letter on 17th June 1944 congratulating Icelanders on forming a Republic.

8. Icelanders

9. Icelanders • Abolishing the monarchy resulted in little change to the Icelandic constitution, "The President" was merely substituted for "The King". However the people of Iceland celebrated the end of the long battle for total independence and praised JónSigurðsson for his early independence movement and SveinnBjörnsson, who became the first president of Iceland.