Pubs to stay open until 1am over Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend

26 April 2022, 07:19 | Updated: 26 April 2022, 11:20

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Pubs will stay open for an extra two hours over the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday.

Pubs, bars and clubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

Opening hours will be extended by two hours in England and Wales to 01:00 BST over the extended bank holiday weekend between Thursday, 2 June and Saturday, 4 June.

Home Secretary Priti Patel made the special order relaxing licensing hours on Monday, saying it will allow people to ‘raise a glass to toast Her Majesty's incredible service’.

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She also said the relaxation will give a ‘boost’ to the hospitality industry after pubs and bars have struggled over the past two years with Covid.

“For seventy years Her Majesty The Queen has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness and resolve,“ Ms Patel said.

“The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic national occasion, which will see families, friends and communities across the country come together to celebrate this unprecedented landmark in a remarkable reign.

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“Over the extended Bank Holiday weekend, we will be able to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty’s incredible service to our country, while also providing a boost to the hospitality industry after a challenging couple of years.”

The move is supported by the National Police Chiefs' Council and National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers.

But the temporary extension to regulations won’t apply to supermarkets or off-licences.

Meanwhile, an extended four-day bank holiday weekend will be packed full of celebrations, including street parties and a star-studded concert outside Buckingham Palace.

At the moment, the only act confirmed for the Party at the Palace is singer and songwriter George Ezra.

The Queen's Birthday Parade will also see 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians come together for the Trooping the Colour.

A number of commemorative items are also being produced to mark the Jubilee, including a range of chinaware.

Produced by the Royal Collection Trust, the handmade collection has been designed and has already gone on sale to the public.

If that wasn't enough, The Queen has been transformed into a Barbie doll to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

The doll, which was designed by toymaker Mattell, was released on the Queen's 96th birthday on Thursday, April 21.

She is dressed in an ivory gown and blue sash, and wears a crown similar to that worn on her wedding day.