David Cameron backs bank holiday for royal wedding

There should be a public holiday to mark Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton next year, David Cameron has suggested.

The prime minister said that, should the couple decide to get married on a weekday, then he would like it to be a bank holiday.

There could also be a holiday if they decided on a weekend wedding, he said.

The couple have yet to name the date for their wedding but say it will be in either the spring or summer of 2011.

Mr Cameron told a meeting of MPs that he was keen the event should be a day of "national celebration".

Although it should be a matter for debate, he said it would be "great idea" for it to be a national holiday if it fell during the week but also a "great temptation" if it were on the weekend.

National holidays were declared to mark both the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and a new bank holiday is planned for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

A spokesman for St. James's Palace said: "Prince William and Miss Middleton are grateful for the Prime Minister's comments. They also support the idea of a bank holiday but they recognise that this is very much a matter for the Government"

The couple officially announced their engagement on Tuesday.