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There Will Be No Royal Wedding Bank Holiday And People Are Not Amused

Well, Prince Andrew didn't get one.
Graeme Demianyk
By 

Senior Editor, HuffPost UK

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Downing Street has announced there are “no plans” for a bank holiday on the day of Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle and, frankly, it’s gone down like a lead balloon.

For a Government trailling in the polls and blundering its way to the European Union exit door, downing tools for a day would have been just the tonic for a jaded nation.

And a Royal Wedding-inspired day off has happened in recent memory.

The day of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding - April 29, 2011 - was made a public holiday by David Cameron.

Similarly, July 29, 1981, was a called a public holiday for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana.

So expectations were high ...

The world: Prince Harry is going to marry Meghan Markle!
The UK: ...Do we get the day off? pic.twitter.com/0UBYCIV8bf

— Mark Lankester (@markrlankester) November 27, 2017

Me after the Prince Harry #MeghanMarkle Royal Wedding statement..... pic.twitter.com/3MPtROHFVs

— Tom Quante (@TomQuante) November 27, 2017

Give us the bank holiday or else

— Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) November 27, 2017

Hearing 'royal wedding' and immediately thinking 'bank holiday' pic.twitter.com/LC0UByT0jo

— Robyn Frost (@RobynHFrost) November 27, 2017

However, Theresa May’s government has seen it another way ...

The prime minister's office, citing precedence for the decision, says there was no bank holiday for Prince Andrew's wedding.

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) November 27, 2017

Number 10 said there is "no precedent" for a bank holiday because Prince Andrew and Prince Edward didn't have one. No mention of Princess Anne. Who, um, did get one.

— Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) November 27, 2017

Princess Anne was the first of the Queen’s kids to marry tho

— Jack Sommers (@jack_sommers) November 27, 2017

To be clear, since Harry is higher up the line of succession he doesn’t warrant one, it seems.

There was no public holiday for the wedding of Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles either.

So when the wedding takes place in Spring next year we’ll have to hang the bunting in the office.

Anyway, Brits have reacted to the news with the trademark stiff upper lip.

This is BULLSHIT this country is FUCKING AWFUL https://t.co/1GoCUYfXyC

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) November 27, 2017

GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT FOR ONCE, HOW HARD WOULD THAT REALLY BE https://t.co/u4p8idHVJA

— Rachel McGrath (@RachelMcGrath) November 27, 2017

There should surely be a bank holiday to celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Only curmudgeons will be in the office anyway.

— John Woodcock (@JWoodcockMP) November 27, 2017

why does theresa may hate the will of the people https://t.co/k3z9l15Wdc

— Mollie Goodfellow 🤶🏻 (@hansmollman) November 27, 2017

For too long we have been ruled by a monarchy, to the barricades! https://t.co/My1Vxt8NeY

— Ned Donovan (@Ned_Donovan) November 27, 2017

Soon, the gifs came out.

No Bank Holiday for the first Black Princess! #PrincessMeghan #princeharryengaged #princeharry pic.twitter.com/kvtfTiQdZN

— Vanessa Sanyauke (@VanessaSanyauke) November 27, 2017

What do you mean, No 10 says we won’t be having a #royalwedding bank holiday? pic.twitter.com/fcTJHtSJI8

— Alex von Tunzelmann (@alexvtunzelmann) November 27, 2017

No Bank Holiday? pic.twitter.com/fUk4XxLny5

— Nick Gutteridge (@nick_gutteridge) November 27, 2017

And, really, did Downing Street not sniff the opportunity for some modest political gain?

[Act 2; Scene 3]

[A room in Downing Street]

"What we need is an easy win. Some PR thing that will make people happy, and us look good. Any ideas?"

"..."

"Oh well."https://t.co/KbFVOEkSJB

— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) November 27, 2017

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