True cost of King Charles' coronation and how much taxpayers paid
King Charles' coronation was the most expensive crowning over the past 300 years...It’s been two years since King Charles and Queen Camilla’s coronation, but how much did it cost taxpayers and the UK government?
King Charles’ coronation alongside his wife took place at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. It was the first coronation of a new monarch since 1953, when the late Queen Elizabeth II was crowned following her father King George VI.
It was dubbed a ‘once-in-a-generation’ moment for those who witnessed it live or on television. But how much did the coronation of King Charles cost the UK government and British taxpayers?
How much did the coronation of King Charles cost?
Before the bunting was put up and afternoon tea served, it was initially reported the celebrations for Operation Golden Orb – the name for the crowning – could cost taxpayers as much as £250million.
The staggering figure was estimated from the notion it was a state event and being paid for by the UK government using public money, as well as the Sovereign Grant. And that’s despite claims the monarch’s personal fortune could be as much as £2billion.
However the true cost of King Charles’ coronation was revealed 18 months later by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which coordinated the event. The DCMS spent more than £50 million for Queen Camilla and King Charles’ coronation. Whereas, policing cost, paid for by the Home Office, came to almost £22 million. In total, King Charles’ coronation cost the UK government £72 million. A small amount of the cost was paid using the Sovereign Grant, which is taxpayer funding for the monarchy. It became the most expensive coronation of the past 300 years.
Despite the eye-watering price tag, the day was a ‘slimmed down affair’ in comparison to the late Queen’s in 1953. The number of guests who attended was only 25% compared to the previous coronation. However, her coronation cost £912,000 in the 1950s, or £20.5m in today’s money.
Backlash over huge bill
However, leading up to the event, the public did not think it should be funded by the government.
A YouGov survey at the time found 51 per cent of adults believed it shouldn’t have come out of taxpayers’ funding. Whereas, 32 per cent said it should, and 18 per cent were unsure.
Labour MP for Leeds East, Richard Burgon, even called for a House of Commons debate on how much the coronation of King Charles would cost the government considering the cost of living crisis.
He said: “The King has a reported personal fortune of £1.8bn, and given the monarch already benefits from not paying inheritance tax, it’s easy to see why so many people are not happy with this.”
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How much King Charles’ coronation cost compared to other British monarchs
If we take a trip down memory lane, King Charles’ coronation is the most expensive celebration for the past three centuries.
Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation cost £912,000, equivalent to £20.5m, and her father King George VI spent £454,000 (£24.8m).
His father, King George V, is believed to have spent £185,000 on his coronation at the time, around £17.4m in today’s money. A lot of this budget was to pay for renovations and furnishings for Westminster Abbey, as well as, uniforms, costumes, and a coronation feast.
Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1838 featured three state balls, two court receptions and a state concert, as well as a public procession to the Abbey. At the time, parliament forked out £69,000, which equates to £6.2m in the current climate.
However, William IV, wasn’t even bothered with having a coronation at all. In 1831, he had to persuaded to have one, and spent so little that it was known as the ‘Penny Coronation’. The total came to £43,000, worth only £3.6m in today’s economy. He refused to have a coronation banquet because he thought it was too much.
King George IV’s coronation in 1821 was also extravagant, coming in at £238,000 (£20.9m). The Prince Regent was known for enjoying the finer things in life and spent a lot of money on it.
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