King Charles' coronation cost taxpayer £72 million, report reveals
21 November 2024, 23:48
King Charles’ coronation cost British taxpayers £72 million, official account records have revealed.
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The coronation of King Charles in May 2023 was described as a “once-in-a-generation” event and, despite being scaled back from previous crownings, saw all the pomp and circumstance one would expect from a royal coronation.
The £72 million figure includes £50.3 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) costs and £21.7 million for the Home Office for policing the event.
Dignitaries from across the globe attended the ceremony at Westminster Abbey, with a star-studded concert in Windsor following the next day.
According to the foreign office, representatives from 90 countries attended the ceremony, including the First Ladies of Ukraine and the United States.
The concert saw acts Take That, Olly Murs, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie perform to a massive crowd.
The DCMS annual report and accounts said the department "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 which provided an occasion for the entire country to come together in celebration, and offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world".
King Charles’ crowning cost significantly less than the Queen’s funeral and the events surrounding it.
According to account documents Queen Elizabeth’s funeral cost £162m - £74m for the Home Office and £57m for the DCMS as well as extra cash for devolved governments.
At the time, the King’s coronation had been described as a “slimmed-down affair” with the royal family looking to avoid flaunting its wealth in the wake of the rapidly worsening cost of living crisis.
Prior to the crowning, a poll carried out by YouGov showed 52% of Londoners felt the taxpayer should not foot the bill for Charles’ coronation.
