Last year’s coronation of the British King Charles III. and Queen Camilla cost £72m (€86.4m), a government report said on Thursday, with the cost of the event half that of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. in 2022. TASR informs about it according to a report from the Reuters news agency.
Charles III. and Kamila were crowned on 6 May 2023. It was the biggest ceremony in Britain for seven decades, with lavish pomp in front of a hundred world leaders and millions of television viewers around the world.
High costs of police officers
The Department for Culture (DCMS), which was responsible for organizing the coronation, said in its annual report that the event itself cost £50.3m, with a further £21.7m in policing costs. At the funeral of Elizabeth II. and related events, approximately £162 million (€194.3 million) was spent.
Coronation of Charles III. was smaller than the coronations of his predecessors, including his mother Elizabeth II. The aim of this approach was to make the event reflect more modern times and to point out that it took place at a time of financial hardship for many people, Reuters notes.
Critics at the time said it was wrong to spend big at a time when the public is facing a cost-of-living crisis, but Buckingham Palace and organizers predicted it would be an economic boost for Britain.
Strengthening of national identity
The DCMS said it was a “once-in-a-generation moment which provided an opportunity for the whole country to come together in celebration”. The coronation also “offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”, the department added .
The ministry said the event generated more than 100,000 press reports and reached an audience of approximately two billion in 125 countries.
