Pubs, bars, and clubs could have hours extended to celebrate coronation of King Charles

18 December 2022, 10:07

Pubs, bars, and clubs in England and Wales could have their hours extended to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

The government has said it will consult on pushing licensing hours from normal 11pm until 1am on May 5, 6, and 7 on the Bank Holiday weekend.

The Home Office said the change will give "an opportunity for our communities to come together and celebrate this historic moment, and support our hospitality industry".

Laws provide for licensing hours to be extended in order to mark nationally significant occasions.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "His Majesty the King's coronation will be a historic moment that will see our great nation and the entire Commonwealth joined together in celebration.

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"Our country, and in particular our hospitality industry, has faced many challenges in recent years and the King's coronation is an opportunity to give a boost to our local businesses, and celebrate with our local communities.

"Over the Bank Holiday weekend we can raise a glass to our new monarch, and with our friends and families wish him a long and successful reign."

The monarch will have the crown bestowed upon his head at Westminster Abbey, accompanied by foreign heads of state, peers, and members of parliament.

Timings for the ceremony haven't yet been revealed, though it's likely King Charles will travel from the Palace to the historic site in a gold state coach with wife Queen Consort Camilla.

The coronation will be shown live on television, though guest numbers are expected to be reduced from 8,000 to 2,000 and it's likely to have a duration of just over an hour.

The Palace has previously said: "The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."

It's been speculated that the more muted celebrations are due to the on-going cost of living crisis and the king's rumoured desire to 'slim down' the monarchy.