SCOTS will be able to mark or undertake their best efforts to ignore the king’s coronation over a long weekend as an extra bank holiday for the occasion has been added to the calendar.
The holiday will fall on May 8, following the coronation at Westminster Abbey two days earlier on May 6. It will take place across the UK.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The coronation will be a historic moment for Scotland, and the Scottish Government wants to give as many people as possible to join the celebrations.
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“Scotland will want to send its best wishes to His Majesty, King Charles III, and The Queen Consort.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that – as was the case with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 – it will be an opportunity for families and communities across the country to come together to celebrate.
The announcement follows calls from Tory MPs for the UK Government to either move the early May bank holiday from May 1 to coincide with the coronation weekend or to declare an extra day off.
Sunak said: “The coronation of a new monarch is a unique moment for our country.
“In recognition of this historic occasion, I am pleased to announce an additional bank holiday for the whole United Kingdom next year.
“I look forward to seeing people come together to celebrate and pay tribute to King Charles III by taking part in local and national events across the country in his honour.”
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said: “The coronation combines the sacred and the solemn, but it is also celebratory.
“This bank holiday will once again give people across the United Kingdom the opportunity to come together as families and communities to welcome His Majesty to the throne as we mark this important day in our nation’s long history.”
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