King Charles grants Scotland a World Cup bank holiday — and England could be next

King Charles has granted Scotland a one-off bank holiday to allow fans to watch the country’s first World Cup fixture since 1998 without facing work the following morning, a decision that raises the prospect of similar treatment for England supporters later in the tournament.

Scotland open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Haiti on June 14 at Gillette Stadium near Boston. The local kick-off is 9PM, translating to 2AM for viewers back home — a schedule that prompted First Minister John Swinney to propose the bank holiday to give the Tartan Army time to both support their team and recover before returning to work. King Charles approved the measure, creating what is now an acknowledged precedent in British public life.

The decision has attracted mild criticism given that Scotland’s match falls on a late Saturday evening into Sunday morning, with the Monday designated as the day off. That backlash is expected to ease considerably if England fans find themselves in the same position.

England have never received a bank holiday for World Cup viewing, but the prospect is now more credible than at any previous tournament. Should the Three Lions top Group L, they would face a 1AM UK kick-off for their first knockout fixture in Mexico City — a timing close enough to Scotland’s situation to make a comparable royal grant difficult to refuse.

England begin their group stage campaign against Croatia on June 17 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with a 9PM BST kick-off.

With the precedent now set by the Scottish bank holiday, any deep England run in North America is likely to renew calls for the same concession — and, for the first time, there is a clear royal blueprint to follow.