King Charles III’s coronation cost UK taxpayers R1.64 billion

King Charles III’s coronation last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (R1.64 billion), official accounts have revealed.

For the latest British Royals news, bookmark The South African website’s dedicated section for free-to-read content

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.

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.

The country has been gripped by post-pandemic cost pressures, with decades-high inflation during much of last year, while flatlining economic growth has led to declining living standards.

‘Should not be funding it’

Sceptics also note that the UK monarch, who receives more public money than European counterparts, is a multimillionaire able to foot more of the institution’s bills.

More than half of Britons told pollsters YouGov before the coronation that the government should not be funding it.

The royals this month faced calls for more transparency and reform of their private estates, after an investigation alleged they have been profiting from public bodies while benefiting from major tax exemptions.

In its annual report and accounts, DCMS said it “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”.

DCMS was the lead government department working with the royal household on the coronation, which it described as a “once-in-a-generation moment”.

It added the events “offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”.