Royals
Will King Charles’ Coronation Be A Bank Holiday?
Here’s everything to know about the weekend of royal celebrations.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, Prince Charles was formally proclaimed king. The next step in King Charles III’s ascension to the throne will be his coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. The landmark royal event will see Charles officially crowned king and “will reflect the monarch’s role today” while being “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.” As the ceremony calls for a great celebration in the United Kingdom and beyond, many might also be wondering: will King Charles’ coronation be a bank holiday?
In the UK, the nation will have a bank holiday on Monday, May 8, to mark King Charles III’s coronation. As the ceremony itself falls on Saturday, May 6, the bank holiday was moved to the following Monday.
On the nation’s extra day off, King Charles is encouraging people across the United Kingdom to “try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas” as part of The Big Help Out scheme — which aims to “create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation Weekend” and pay “tribute to His Majesty The King's public service.”
In addition to the official coronation ceremony itself on May 6, Buckingham Palace has also announced a string of celebratory events throughout the bank holiday weekend. This includes The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle on Sunday, May 7, which will feature spectacular live performances from global music icons such as Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, opera singer Andrea Bocelli, the classical-soul composer Alexis Ffrench, and more.
Meanwhile, people across the UK are also being encouraged to “share food and fun together” at street, garden, and park coronation parties across the country on Sunday, May 7, in a “nationwide act of celebration and friendship.”
As per the BBC, pubs, clubs, and bars across England and Wales are also permitted to stay open for an additional two hours on Friday and Saturday amid the coronation weekend celebrations.
