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Ye Olde Man & Scythe, a pub in Bolton, Lancashire, England, one of many thousands of public houses that are expected to get the go-ahead to stay open late on the occasion of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Photo taken by Michael Ely on July 19, 2007. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license.

Royal Wedding Watch: Pubs may stay open late to honor Wills and Kate

Ye Olde Man & Scythe, a pub in Bolton, Lancashire, England, one of many thousands of public houses that are expected to get the go-ahead to stay open late on the occasion of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Photo taken by Michael Ely on July 19, 2007. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license.
Ye Olde Man & Scythe, a pub in Bolton, Lancashire, England, one of many thousands of public houses that are expected to get the go-ahead to stay open late on the occasion of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Photo taken by Michael Ely on July 19, 2007. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license.

LONDON (AP) – Britain’s government says the country’s pubs will likely be allowed to stay open late to toast Prince William and Catherine Middleton’s Royal Wedding.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire said in a public statement that all licensed premises will be allowed to serve customers until 1 a.m.

The government plans to consult with the entertainment industry on the plan. Brokenshire said the wedding was “an occasion for national celebration.”

Currently, only bars and pubs with special licenses are allowed to stay open past the traditional final drinks call at 11 p.m.

Brokenshire said the relaxation will apply April 29, the date of the Royal Wedding – which has already been made a public holiday, meaning Britons have the day off – and the following day.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE


Ye Olde Man & Scythe, a pub in Bolton, Lancashire, England, one of many thousands of public houses that are expected to get the go-ahead to stay open late on the occasion of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Photo taken by Michael Ely on July 19, 2007. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license.
Ye Olde Man & Scythe, a pub in Bolton, Lancashire, England, one of many thousands of public houses that are expected to get the go-ahead to stay open late on the occasion of the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Photo taken by Michael Ely on July 19, 2007. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 license.
Memorabilia commemorating the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton runs the gamut, pricewise. For those on a budget, this satirical coaster might be just the thing to accompany one's pint glass during the late-night celebration in Britain's pubs on April 29, 2011. Novelty item produced by The Coaster Company, www.thecoastercompany.com. Image courtesy of The Coaster Company.
Memorabilia commemorating the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton runs the gamut, pricewise. For those on a budget, this satirical coaster might be just the thing to accompany one’s pint glass during the late-night celebration in Britain’s pubs on April 29, 2011. Novelty item produced by The Coaster Company, www.thecoastercompany.com. Image courtesy of The Coaster Company.