King Charles coronation: Pubs, clubs and bars to stay open later during May bank holiday weekend

Licencing hours will be extended on the Coronation weekend
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Pubs, clubs and bars will be allowed to stay open into the early hours over the bank holiday weekend to celebrate the coronation of King Charles.

MPs have approved plans to allow venues across England and Wales to continue serving customers for two hours beyond their usual closing time.

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The extended licensing hours will apply from 11pm on Friday 5 May, Saturday 6 May and Sunday 7 May. The House of Commons supported the regulations without the need for a formal vote.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman earlier this month said of the change: “His Majesty The King’s Coronation will be a momentous occasion deserving of special celebration. That is why I am extending the licensing hours over this historic Coronation weekend.

“Up and down the country, people can enjoy an extra pint or two in the evening while families and friends can come together to wish His Majesty The King a long and happy reign.”

MPs have approved plans to allow pubs to stay open later over the bank holiday weekend (Photo: Getty Images)MPs have approved plans to allow pubs to stay open later over the bank holiday weekend (Photo: Getty Images)
MPs have approved plans to allow pubs to stay open later over the bank holiday weekend (Photo: Getty Images)

The news follows plans announced earlier this month to allow visitors to Westminster Abbey to stand in the exact spot where King Charles will be crowned for the first time - but only in socks.

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Special guided “barefoot” tours in celebration of the 6 May coronation will include access to the Cosmati pavement - one of Britain’s greatest medieval art treasures - which is usually roped off to the public.

The intricate 13th century mosaic floor sits at the heart of the Abbey’s coronation theatre and has been the site of the crowning of Kings and Queens for more than 700 years. It was covered over with carpet at many previous coronations, including Queen Elizabeth II’s in 1953 and George VI’s in 1937, but is to remain uncovered for King Charles III this summer.

Visitors will be kept in small groups of 10 and asked to remove their shoes and walk in socks to help protect the pavement, which is made of geometric patterns of marble, stone, glass and metal, in the Sacrarium. The guided Crown and Church visits will begin on 15 May - a week after the coronation.

Charles will be crowned sitting in the Coronation Chair which will rest on a low stepped dais above the centre circle of the ancient floor in front of the High Altar.

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Royal fans will be able to watch the coronation at more than 30 big screens at towns and cities across the UK, including London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Belfast, among many others.

The screens will be erected ahead of King Charles being crowned at Westminster Abbey during a ceremony televised around the world.

More than £1 million has been made available by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for the screens, which will be erected ahead of King Charles being crowned at Westminster Abbey during a ceremony televised around the world.

Confirmed sites include Cardiff Castle, Belfast City Hall, Piece Hall in Halifax, Jubilee Square in Brighton and Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester.

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Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The coronation will be a magical moment that brings people together to celebrate the best of Britain over a special weekend in May. These big screens, in major locations in towns and cities in the four nations of the UK, will make it easier for everyone to take part and have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.”

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