King Charles’ coronation cost UK taxpayers US$90.7 million

Critics say taxpayer spending on the 2023 events was too large and out of touch given huge demands on stretched public funds

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Britain’s King Charles wearing St Edward’s Crown during the coronation ceremony inside Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, 2023. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:57am, 22 Nov 2024

King Charles’ coronation last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (US$90.7 million), official accounts released late on Thursday revealed.

Critics have argued taxpayer spending on the events was too large and out of touch given the huge demands on stretched public funds and economising in recent years by many Britons.

The figures showed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spent £50.3 million, while the interior ministry’s costs for policing the “once-in-a-generation” event totalled £21.7 million.

The Coronation procession makes its way towards Admiralty Arch during the rehearsal for King Charles’ coronation in London on May 3, 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE

Charles was formally crowned monarch at Westminster Abbey in a May 2023 ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.

A star-studded concert at Windsor Castle took place the following night.

The disclosure of the final bill, which had been estimated at more than £100 million, is nonetheless set to spark fresh condemnation from anti-monarchists in the UK.

They have been stepping up their criticisms of the royal family and what they say are excessive and unfair financial benefits it receives in straitened times.