The Government will allow the pub venues to continue serving drinks for two extra hours during the celebratory Bank Holiday Weekend.
Queen Elizabeth II will become the first British monarch to have reigned for seven decades on February 6, 2022, and pubs in Wales and England has been allowed to stay open for two more extra hours to toast her Majesty for her dedication and service these past years
Priti Patel, Home Secretary, is seeking to extend licensing hours from the normal 11 pm to 1 am from Thursday, June 2 to Saturday, June 4 during the extended Bank Holiday Weekend.
Ms. Patel said: “Her Majesty the Queen is an example to us all – she has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness, and resolve throughout her remarkable reign. The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic occasion, and it is right that the country should mark this celebration in a special way.”
“This extension will enable families, friends, and communities across England and Wales to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty the Queen and mark her incredible service to our country,” she added.
The May Bank Holiday Weekend will be moved to Thursday, June 2 to commemorate the occasion, in addition, the Bank Holiday on Friday, June 3 will be introduced, resulting in a 4-day weekend. Ministers have promised “ceremonial splendor” and “technological displays” to mark the Queen’s “unprecedented” 70-year reign.
The government said that Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the secretary to lay an order before Parliament to give permission for premises to stay open longer to mark occasions of exceptional significance, the move to extend licensing hours will be subject to a month-long public consultation during which people can submit their views on the proposals.
Any issues raised by specific stakeholders including the police, licensing authorities, and alcohol awareness groups will also be taken into consideration.point 259 |
Past national events that have seen the Government push back closing time have included the 2011 and 2018 royal weddings, the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, and the FIFA World Cup in 2014.point 158 | 1
Nadine Dorries, Culture Secretary said: “Next year we will celebrate an unprecedented milestone in our national life. No other British monarch has served for 70 years and it is fitting that, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, we toast Her Majesty for her dedication and service.”
“2022 will be a year of pride, celebration, and coming together with the Platinum Jubilee alongside our other blockbuster events including the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and Unboxed, championing creativity in the UK,” she added.
The Queen is looking forward to her Platinum Jubilee in her Christmas day message to the nation, saying she hoped it would be “an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness; a chance to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last seventy years – social, scientific and cultural – and also to look ahead with confidence.”
The monarch has been well established on previous anniversaries, she prefers not to have lavish celebrations on the date itself as it also marks the day she lost her father, King George VI.
It has become traditional for associated events to be delayed until the summer. The list of events that have been planned is a live concert at Buckingham Palace, a service of thanksgiving, and a Platinum Jubilee Pageant in central London.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which has a reported budget of up to $20m, will be staged in London on Sunday 5 June. Featuring 5,000 people from across the UK and the Commonwealth, the event will combine street arts, theatre, music, circus, and costume.