The staggering cost of Charles III's coronation enrages the British

The bill is steep. The coronation of King Charles III in May 2023 cost British taxpayers no less than 72 million pounds sterling (around 86.6 million euros), according to official figures. More concretely, the cost of maintaining order during the ceremony amounted to 21.7 million pounds sterling (26.1 million euros), to which must be added a further 50.3 million pounds sterling ( 60.5 million euros) committed by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport.

As a reminder, the ceremony at Westminster Abbey brought together dignitaries from around the world, including 90 heads of state. The coronation was followed by a grandiose concert the next day at Windsor Castle.

“An extravagance we didn’t need”

In a United Kingdom undermined by a major economic crisis, the pill is difficult to pass. The figures did not fail to provoke the anger of the anti-monarchist group Republic. Its chief executive, Graham Smith, describes the expenditure as “obscene”.

“It's a huge amount of money that was spent on the parade of one person when there was no obligation in the constitution or in the law to organize a coronation,” annoys Graham Smith in the columns of Guardian . This allergic to the monarchy even assures that the total cost could reach between 100 and 250 million pounds if we add additional expenses such as those linked to defense, transport and local services. “It was an extravagance we just didn’t need. It was completely unnecessary and a waste of money in the middle of a cost of living crisis in a country that faces enormous child poverty. When children can't afford their school meals, spending over £70 million on this parade is obscene.”

“Less of a cost than an investment”

For Stéphane Bern, these criticisms are disproportionate. “[Graham Smith] Just forget one thing: when it comes time to take stock, it is important to balance expenses with revenues. And the real figures clearly show that the 86.5 million euros constitute less of a cost than an investment!” writes the royal expert in a post for Paris Match . Before detailing: “According to the Center for Retail Research, the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla brought the British economy 1.7 billion euros which breaks down as follows: 260 million in souvenirs and memorabilia, 950 million hotel nights and spending around celebrations, 400 million additional tourist spending… not to mention the explosion in sales of drinks, party accessories, Union Jack flags and clothing stamped for the event. Without forgetting the turnover achieved by the BBC which sold the television rights to the coronation.”

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