King Charles 'plans slimmed-down and less expensive coronation' as Brits grapple with cost of living crisis

21 September 2022, 05:54

King Charles III is reportedly planning a "slimmed-down" and "less expensive" coronation ceremony than his mother's as an acknowledgement of the cost of living crisis affecting thousands of Brits.

A royal source said the new monarch's coronation would be "shorter, smaller and less expensive" than the late Queen's ceremony in 1953, The Daily Mirror reports.

The source told the paper: "The King is very aware of the struggles felt by modern Britons so will see his wishes carried through that although his coronation ceremony should stay right and true to the long held traditions of the past, it should also be representative of a monarchy in a modern world."

The paper was also told Charles had "long been an advocate of a streamlined or slimmed down monarchy" and may reduce the number of working royals.

"He has already spoken of his wish to continue his mother's legacy and this includes continuing to recognise what the people are experiencing day by day," the royal source added.

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According to reports, the number of working royals could be cut to seven, likely to be the King, Queen Consort, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, the Princess Royal, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

A date for The King's coronation has not yet been announced, but May and June 2023 are possibilities.

Traditionally, there is a long wait between a new monarch’s ascension to the throne and their coronation.

This period of time allows time for the past sovereign to be properly mourned before officially welcoming in the new era.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that no plans had yet been made for the coronation of the King, as she was pressed on whether the proceedings should be scaled down due to the cost-of-living crisis.

She told LBC: "We need to look at the plans on this and obviously the Palace and the King will have a great deal of input into this.

"We do want to give the nation a moment. When we look back at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, it was a remarkable event where the country really came together."

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Britain has not celebrated a coronation for 69 years, when Elizabeth II became Queen.

Like all coronations of UK monarchs for the past 1,000 years, King Charles' coronation will be held at Westminster Abbey.

Following the Queen’s wish expressed at her Platinum Jubilee, Charles’ wife Camilla will be crowned as Queen Consort by his side during the coronation.

The King flew to Scotland on Tuesday to quietly grieve the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, as the royal period of mourning continues.

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The monarch landed in Aberdeenshire around lunchtime and was reportedly joined by Camilla, the Queen Consort.

His trip came as the royals begun another seven days of mourning, following the late Queen's historic funeral on Monday.

Charles decreed on September 9, the day after the Queen died following her 70-year reign, that a period of mourning would be observed until seven days after the funeral.

Plans for his first diplomatic trip outside the UK as King are focusing on France over Commonwealth countries, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.

The paper reports no plan has been finalised, but writes that a trip across the Channel has been considered as an opportunity to build relations with Europe.