Pubs to stay open until 1am to mark Royal wedding 

Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle will be toasted with late-night drinking sessions after Theresa May signalled the go-ahead for pubs to extend their hours over the Royal Wedding weekend.

Her plan to allow bars to stay open on Friday, May 18, and Saturday, May 19, until 1am the following day would be only the fourth time that the special licensing powers have been invoked.

It will allow revellers to mark a double celebration: the FA Cup Final kicks off later on the same Saturday that Harry and Meghan will marry in St George’s chapel at Windsor Castle. 

But objections could be raised by police and local authorities concerned about the public order consequences of near round-the-clock drinking from Friday until Sunday morning.

As the law stands, pubs can apply to extend their hours on an ad hoc basis. But under Section 172 of the Licensing Act, Ministers can extend the right for every licensed establishment across England and Wales to serve until 1am at times of ‘exceptional national significance’. 

The special order has only previously been used for the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, and the World Cup in 2014.

Theresa May used the special order to extend opening hours – it has only been used previously once

Government sources played down fears the relaxation could lead to public order problems, saying it had not led to any increase in arrests on the previous occasions – including when the Queen’s 90th birthday coincided with two Euro 2016 football matches.

Last night, Home Secretary Amber Rudd said a four-week public consultation would be launched to seek views from the police, the licensing authorities and alcohol awareness groups.

Ms Rudd said: ‘The Royal Wedding will be a time of national celebration and we want everyone to be able to make the most of such an historic occasion. I hope this relaxation of the licensing hours will allow people to extend their festivities and come together to mark what will be a very special moment for the country.’

The move was welcomed by the hospitality industry, which has been struggling against a backdrop of higher business rates and increased home drinking.