Govt plans to extend pub hours for royal wedding

Pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales may stay open later on the weekend of the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle if government plans are passed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be married in May this year

The UK Government has launched a four-week public consultation seeking views on whether to relax licensing hours across England and Wales to celebrate the wedding, set to take place on 19 May 2018.

Announced by home secretary Amber Rudd, the plans involve extending licensing hours on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 May until 1am the following morning.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), extended hours would boost trade by £10m (US$13.5m).

“This is great news for pubs and pub-goers and shows the government has listened to our calls to put pubs at the heart of the royal wedding celebrations,” said Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the BBPA.

“Visitors see the great British pub as a cultural icon, almost as much as the Royal Family.”

Licensing hours have previously been relaxed for royal occasions such as the Queen’s 90th birthday and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

“The royal wedding will be a time of national celebration, and we want everyone to be able to make the most of such an historic occasion,” said Rudd.

“I hope that this relaxation of the licensing hours will allow people to extend their festivities and come together to mark what will be a very special moment for the country.”

The wedding will coincide with the FA Cup final, but according to the government, there were no reports of increased disorder following the Queen’s 90^th birthday, which coincided with two Euro 2016 matches.

If you’re celebrating the royal nuptials this spring, why not do so with these favourite drinks of the monarchy.