Extra Bank Holiday confirmed for King's Coronation in May 2023

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Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles IIIImage source, Reuters
Image caption,

King Charles' III wife Queen Consort Camilla, will have a smaller coronation ceremony on the same day.

An extra bank holiday has been confirmed to mark the coronation of King Charles III next year.

This means that people in the UK will get a day off school and work (if their jobs allow it) to allow them to celebrate the coronation ceremony.

A coronation is an official ceremony where the 'crowning' happens. It's usually a very fancy and important occasion where a crown is literally put on the next King or Queen's head.

The bank holiday will take place on Monday, 8 May 2023, two days after the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was sworn into office by King Charles III

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the bank holiday, saying the time off would give people the chance to "come together and celebrate".

He said that the holiday would mark "a unique moment for our country".

"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."

In England and Wales, there are usually eight bank holidays every year, while in Scotland there are nine and in Northern Ireland there are 10.

The reason the bank holiday is being held two days after the coronation is to avoid clashing with local elections, which will take place in England on Thursday, 4 May.

Election officials said that if Friday 5 May became a bank holiday, it would mess up the vote count, because people would take time off.

When King Charles III is coronated, he will make history as the oldest monarch to take to the throne at 73 years old.

Bank holidays have been held to mark royal occasions in the past. For example earlier this year, the UK had a four-day bank holiday weekend for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.