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Thanks to the honesty of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in their Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan and Harry’s memoir Spare, there is more interest in the royal family than ever before. People are curious about what King Charles III thought of Spare since Harry opened up a lot. And now that King Charles is getting ready for his coronation on May 6th, 2023 at Westminster Abbey, people have a lot of questions about what the big event will look like. The coronation follows Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on September 8th, 2022.
One of the biggest questions about King Charles III’s coronation is who is covering the costs. Is it true that people living in the United Kingdom will be paying for it? And what is involved in the coronation? There’s a lot to know about this event.
Are Taxpayers Paying For King Charles’s $100 Million Coronation?
The U.K. government covers the coronation costs, according to The Daily Mail. And that money comes from taxpayers.
Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister, explained how special the coronation ceremony is. He said, “These are moments in the life of our nation. They bring joy to millions of people. They also mark us out as a nation around the world,” according to The Daily Mail.
Dowden also explained that it’s typical for taxpayers to pay for the coronation. He said, “It has always been the case that the government has paid for Coronations. The reason for doing so is that the sovereign is our Head of State and it is important that we mark that properly.” He also talked about being “mindful of ensuring that there is value for the taxpayer.”
Some aren’t pleased with the cost of the coronation, however, given the cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom. Graham Smith is the CEO of Republic, which aims to get rid of the monarchy in favor of a democratic political system, and he shared his thoughts about the coronation.
According to The Indepedent.co.uk, Smith said, “Charles is already king. There is absolutely no need to go through with this expensive pantomime. At a cost of tens of millions of pounds, this pointless piece of theatre is a slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.”
On June 2nd, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II had her coronation. She was 27 years old. According to History.com, her father, King George VI, passed away February 6th, 1952.
According to The Smithsonian Magazine, the Queen talked about her experience in the documentary The Coronation. She explained, “It is sort of a pageant of chivalry and old-fashioned way of doing things really. I’ve seen one coronation, and been the recipient in the other, which is pretty remarkable.”
The New York Times reported that Queen Elizabeth II hadn’t been interviewed before this moment, which made it surprising and interesting.
Why Does King Charles III’s Coronation Cost So Much?
According to The Sun, King Charles III’s coronation will cost $100 million because the government has to pay to make sure that the royals who will be there are kept safe. It’s definitely true that the royals have become more famous in the past few decades and that there is a lot of public interest in them.
A source explained to The Sun that Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation would have been expensive but not as much as King Charles’s. The source said, “In today’s money the 1953 coronation cost around £50million but estimates for King Charles’s are twice that because of things like security, which weren’t such a big issue back then.”
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The source also talked about what a global event the coronation will be, “But worldwide TV rights will more than cover the cost and it will be a massive boost to tourism. Hotels are already being booked out for the coronation weekend.”
King Charles III’s coronation will also be three days, according to News.sky.com. The plan is for the people in attendance to enjoy a lunch on Sunday May 7th and “the Coronation Choir” will perform.
News.com.sky reported that on Saturday May 6th, Camilla and King Charles will walk from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. This is called “the King’s procession.” Then “the coronation procession” will happen once the ceremony is done and they will go back to the palace.
The publication also quoted the palace who said the coronation also includes a “solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry.”
Graziadaily.co.uk noted that there are many reasons why King Charles’s coronation would add up to $100 million. There will be flowers, a parade, and perhaps it will also be necessary to pay for drivers to ensure that the royals can get around.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the coronation over the past few months. According to The Daily Mail, people began talking about whether King Charles III would be interviewed by the BBC prior to the ceremony. This would be a big deal since the royals don’t tend to give interviews themselves and people often speak for them.
However, the Daily Mail reported that sources say that this isn’t the case. It remains to be seen if this will come to fruition.
Will Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the coronation? NBC News reported that while Harry will be there, Meghan won’t. This is because Megan and Harry’s son Archie will celebrate his birthday at the same time and so it seems that Meghan wants to be there for him.
No matter what people think about the cost of the coronation, it is a very traditional ceremony that is very meaningful to a lot of people. According to the BBC, St Edward’s Chair/The Coronation Chair has been at Westminster Abbey since it was constructed in 1300.
The second part of the coronation involves the Coronation Oath. King Charles will agree to “uphold the law and the Church of England during his reign,” according to the BBC. The coronation spoon is involved in the next part of the ceremony, and then King Charles will put on the St. Edward’s Crown. After “The Enthronement,” Camilla will wear Queen Mary’s crown.
