British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced Sunday there would be a public holiday to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III next year.
Sunak said the bank holiday would fall on Monday, May 8, following the coronation two days earlier.
Charles, 73, automatically became monarch in September on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Days later, he was formally confirmed as the new King of the United Kingdom in a ceremony at St. James’ Palace.
The British government said in a statement that the move was in line with the bank holiday that accompanied the late Queen’s coronation in 1953.
The day off would be an opportunity for families and communities across the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate, it added.
Buckingham Palace announced last month that the King’s coronation would take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, the location of every coronation since 1066.
Since William the Conqueror, all but two monarchs have been crowned there. Edward V died before he could be crowned and Edward VIII abdicated.
The service will be a more modern affair than previous royal coronations and will still be “rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
Credit: cnn.com
