The coronation of King Charles III last year cost British taxpayers 72 million pounds (86.5 million euros), according to official figures published on the evening of Thursday, November 21. Critics have been raised to denounce spending that is too high and disconnected from the realities of taxpayers, from whom tough efforts have been asked in recent years.
According to the figures, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spent £50.3 million, while the costs of securing the coronation by the Home Office reached £21.7 million.
Crowned king at Westminster Abbey in May 2023
Charles was officially crowned king at Westminster Abbey in May 2023 in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world. A sumptuous concert was organized the following evening at Windsor Castle.
The revelation of the overall bill, for which some estimates exceeded 100 million pounds, is likely to lead to further condemnation from anti-monarchists in the United Kingdom. The latter have increased their criticism of the royal family and the sums it receives – which they consider excessive and unfair – in these times of budgetary scarcity.
The country is caught in a post-pandemic crisis, with inflation at its highest in decades for most of the last year, while a lack of economic growth has caused living standards to fall. Skeptics also note that the British monarch, who receives more public money than his European counterparts, is a multimillionaire capable of paying most of the institution's bills.
According to a YouGov poll carried out before the coronation, more than half of Britons thought the government should not finance the ceremony. The royal family has faced recent calls for more transparency and reform of their properties, after an investigation showed they profited from public establishments while receiving significant tax exemptions.
In its annual report, the DCMS spoke of a coronation “loved by millions of people, in the UK and across the world“, and “moment that only happens once in a generation“who has”offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity“.
