2023-04-26 02:23:00
He British King Charles III is preparing to star in an austere, modern and cheap coronation, but the expenses of organization, security, transfers and other items threaten to upset many British people: who will pay the bill?
the ceremony of Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will take place on Saturday 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbeyeight months after having ascended to the throne after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The government and the palace hope that the austerity of the coronation (compared to that of Elizabeth II, in 1953) will cheer the people up, but it is a difficult goal: the country is plunged into a cost-of-living crisis and wide-ranging strikes by employees in the public and private sectors.
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Elsewhere, the crowning glory comes as grim official figures show food prices rising by 19% a year, the highest rate since 1977 in the UK. The headline annual CPI rate eased slightly to 10.1 percent in March after 10.4 percent in February.
In this context, the anti-monarchist group Republic is planning a protest in central London on coronation day. Its president, Graham Smith, believes that the coronation is “completely unnecessary.” “The coronation is the celebration of hereditary power and privileges, it has no place in a modern society”he claimed.
How much will the coronation of Carlos III cost?
the committee of the “Operation Golden Orb”, who is in charge of planning the ceremonyestimates that the event could cost around US$125 million, despite the fact that an invite list of around 2,000 people was drawn up.
In 1937, after the great crisis of the abdication of King Edward VIII, George VI’s coronation cost more than £454,000, which is equivalent to US$31 million in 2023.
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In 1953, Britain was recovering from World War II, with food rationing still in effect, but Winston Churchill’s government spent $20 million on the coronation of the young Queen Elizabeth II.
“In today’s money, the 1953 coronation cost about $63 millionBut the estimates for King Charles are double because of things like security, which weren’t such a big problem back then,” a palace source said.
The same person warned, however, that “TV rights around the world will more than cover the cost and will be a big boost for tourism.” “Hotels are already being booked for the coronation weekend,” she noted.
To show the world a more modern and inclusive coronation, most of Britain’s nobles were not invited. These used to attend dressed in coronation robes and crowns, but were affected by Carlos III’s wish that the guest list be “meritocratic and not aristocratic”.
The Duke of Rutland reportedly “doesn’t really understand” why he wasn’t invited” and expressed his disappointment to the Daily Mail newspaper. “It was families like mine who supported the royal family for over 1,000 years,” he said. Duke of Somerset, was “fixing the family carriage“Waiting for a last-minute invitation.
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Who pays for the coronation?
As it is a ‘state’ ceremony, the coronation of Carlos and Camilla will be paid for by the Government, with money from taxpayerssomething that bothers many in the midst of the economic crisis.
He Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden, said weeks ago that the king and the government are “conscious of ensuring that there is value for the taxpayer.” There will be no “lavishness or excess”, but he explained that the expenses “always” are borne by the public coffers.
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“The reason to do it is that the sovereign is our Head of State and it is important that we mark it correctly,” he explained. It’s only right that we celebrate this moment in the life of our nation and do it appropriately and in a way that the nation can come together to celebrate.”
“These are moments in the life of our nation. They bring joy to millions of people. They also mark us as a nation around the world,” Dowden said. “This is a wonderful time in our history and people wouldn’t want to save or skimp. They would want a proper ceremony. That’s what we’ll get.”
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But these words did not reassure the British. According to a recent YouGov survey of 4,246 adults, the youngest people in the UK who are the most affected by the cost of living crisis and alarming increase in food, they are the least favorable to foot the bill for the historic occasion.
Some 62% of those aged between 18 and 24 were opposed to the coronation being funded by the government, while 15% were in favour. However, among those 65 and older, 43% supported taxpayer funding, while 44% were against it.
In the midst of the crisis, Buckingham Palace and Downing Street hope the coronation will provide a boost to the UK economy as a result of an increase in tourism, the demand for accommodation and the sale of souvenirs for the occasion.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport estimated that adding an extra bank holiday weekend would cost the government almost $2.3bn, but if pubs are allowed to stay open later across the country on Sunday 7th May, the coronation could boost the economy by up to US$ 1,300 million.
On Monday the king invited to celebrate the Big Help Out, a day that will encourage people to volunteer and participate in the social work carried out in their communities. According to Alastair Bruce, former arms officer of the Royal Household, the monarch wanted to use the coronation festivities “as a cohesive opportunity to encourage people to support those who are having a difficult time“.
“The Big Help Out is there to encourage people who celebrated over the past two days to get out there and do something for their community, to get in on the action. I think by doing that, more people will realize the incredible amount of effort that is being made on behalf of those who really need it,” he argued.
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What is known about the coronation of Carlos III and Camilla
Charles’ coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in front of 2,000 guests, between heads of state, foreign monarchs and members of civil society. It will be limited to just over an hour and will have modern elements such as an air-conditioned float and a vegan oil painting enshrined in Jerusalem.
The coronation of the young Elizabeth II had 8,000 guests, an 18th century carriage and lasted three hours. But if the coronation of the deceased monarch was followed on the BBC by 27 million Britons, now 64% say they are not interested, according to a YouGov survey.
The coronation itself will begin in the morning with a carriage procession from Buckingham Palace to nearby Westminster Abbey.
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Carlos III will take the oath before being anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on his hands, head and chest. After, will receive the royal attributes: the mantle, the orb, the scepter and the crown of Eduardofrom the 17th century, adapted for the occasion.
Camilla decided to respect tradition and will also be anointed and crowned as queen in a smaller ritual after the coronation of the husband with the queen mary crownCarlos’s great-grandmother.
A new procession, accompanied by 4,000 soldiers in full dress uniform, will take the monarchs back to the palace from whose balcony they will greet the crowd and witness an air parade. Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, the most unpopular of the royal family, will not be there.
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