King size: How much did King Charles’ coronation cost British taxpayers?

King Charles’s coronation turned out to be an extravagant affair.

Official records show that the grand coronation ceremony for King Charles and Queen Camilla last year cost British taxpayers a staggering $90.7 million (£72 million).

The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which organised the event, defended the hefty price tag, describing it as a “once-in-a-generation moment".

However, critics have fiercely lashed out at the royal family for what they see as “obscene” spending, especially during a time when the country is facing significant economic challenges.

Here’s a closer look at the debate.

How much did it cost?

The new British monarch was crowned in a lavish display of pomp and ceremony on May 6, 2023.

On Thursday, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) released its annual report, providing a detailed breakdown of the expenses for the royal event, watched by millions globally and witnessed by thousands of Brits who gathered along the streets.

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The report said the DCMS had provided a sum of $63.6 million to the ceremony, with a further $27.3 million spent by the Home Office on added security measures and policing.

Roughly 100 world leaders, foreign leaders and celebrities watched the grand event in person at London’s Westminster Abbey as the King was formally crowned.

Charles, then 76, was adorned in fur and velvet robes with golden accents as he took his seat in the 700-year-old Coronation Chair as the richly decorated St. Edward’s Crown was placed atop his head by The Archbishop of Canterbury.

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This was after Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022 at the age of 96.

Following the lavish coronation ceremony, a star-studded coronation concert, featuring Take That and stars such as Olly Murs, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie took place at Windsor Castle the following night.

The annual report and accounts of DCMS stated that the department “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”.

It described the coronation as a “once-in-a-generation moment” that enabled the “entire country to come together in celebration”, as well as offering “a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”.

According to DW, the final bill, which is yet to be disclosed, is estimated to be over $125 million (£100 million).

‘A slimmed-down affair’

According to The Telegraph, the cost of King Charles’s coronation was only a fraction of the expenses for Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral and related ceremonies in 2022, which totalled around $204 million.

This figure included the costs of the lying in state and other events held across the UK during the national mourning period.

A DCMS spokesman noted that “all efforts were made to keep costs to a minimum” during the King’s Coronation, aiming for a “slimmed down affair.”

They stated, “The Coronation was a historic state occasion that brought together millions of people across the country, the realms and the Commonwealth.

“It was an important diplomatic event, and the biggest gathering of world leaders in a generation, putting Britain on a global stage and showcasing the best of British culture and creativity to the world.

“In line with rules regulating the spending of taxpayers’ money, all efforts were made to keep costs to a minimum.”

The decision to reduce the coronation’s expenses was intended to reflect a degree of modernisation within the royal family, especially during a period when ordinary citizens faced inflation and rising living costs.

However, Buckingham Palace said the celebration would create an economic boost all around the country.

Coronation spending was ‘obscene’

After the coronation’s expenses were made public, critics launched fierce attacks on the monarchy, labelling the event as an “obscene” misuse of taxpayers’ money.

Graham Smith, CEO of Republic — a group advocating for the monarchy’s abolition in favour of an elected head of state — told The Guardian, “It’s a huge amount of money to spend on one person’s parade when there was no obligation whatsoever in the constitution or in law to have a coronation, and when we were facing cuts to essential services.”

The country has been struggling with post-pandemic economic pressures, with soaring inflation, driven in part by global conflicts over the past year. Economic growth has stalled, contributing to a decline in living standards.

Notably, before the coronation, more than half of Britons surveyed by YouGov believed that the government should not be funding the event.

It was an extravagance we simply didn’t have to have. It was completely unnecessary and a waste of money in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis in a country that is facing huge amounts of child poverty,” Smith commented.

He added, “When kids are unable to afford lunches at school, to spend over ($90 million) on this parade is obscene.”

With input from agencies