Calls for bank holiday to mark King's coronation
MPs and tourism trade bodies have backed calls for a bank holiday to mark King Charles III's coronation next year.
The monarch will be crowned on Saturday 6 May 2023 in Westminster Abbey in London, alongside Queen Consort Camilla.
A number of MPs have reportedly called for the scheduled 1 May bank holiday to be moved to 8 May to give the country a long weekend.
Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC that giving the public an extra day off would be "eminently sensible".
An estimated 5.3m Britons planned an overnight holiday break during the four-day bank holiday weekend for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June, according to VisitBritain.
Licensing hours for hospitality businesses were extended until 1am over the weekend of celebrations.
VisitBritain chief executive Patricia Yates said: "A spring bank holiday would be a welcome and valuable boost to the industry, kick starting the season and providing tourism destinations with much needed-cash flow after the lean winter months.
"It would also be a fantastic opportunity for both domestic and international visitors to have an extra special short-break or a day-out, enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime celebrations and show-stopping events for the coronation."
Buckingham Palace said the coronation would "reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry".
Further details of the event will be announced in due course.
Image: Dmitry Naumov / Shutterstock
