The coronation ceremony of King Charles is set to take place at Westminster Abbey, where Charles III and his wife Camilla will be crowned as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth states on May 6, 2023. King Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The coronation is anticipated to cost several million pounds, but no formal budget has been announced and the government has not commented on the expected total cost, therefore, the amount of public money spent is unclear. Some estimates say that the cost of Operation Golden Orb, the Coronation’s code name, could range from £50 million to £100 million.
British netizens are posting against the public funding of the ceremony and making their displeasure known on social media by trending #AbolishTheMonarchy. They are highlighting the dire economic circumstances in the country and how people are struggling to make ends meet while the already wealthy and privileged elite is supported at the expense of the exchequer.
A netizen mentioned the amount of wealth accumulated by the King and called it ‘an obscene waste of public funds, especially during a cost of living crisis.’
The Coronation is reportedly costing the British taxpayer £100 million.
— Łord Raven ⚜️ (@John_Ravenn) April 19, 2023
King Charles reportedly has a personal net worth of £600 million.
RT if you agree that this is an obscene waste of public funds, especially during a cost of living crisis. pic.twitter.com/pyhAI20f0n
Another one pointed out the severe economic conditions faced by the people in the country and called the coronation a ‘deranged spectacle.’
Thousands of families using food banks, people unable to afford to put the heating on yet this deranged spectacle is going ahead?
— Claire D (@ClaireD143) April 17, 2023
Absolute joke of a country. #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonachy https://t.co/hvZFPmI2PL
Another user suggested putting the ‘obscene pantomime to something more worthwhile.’
Can we please cancel this obscene pantomime and put the £100m to something more worthwhile #AbolishTheMonachy pic.twitter.com/QZTgFJj0ub
— Richard Coombe (@CoombeRichard) April 13, 2023
Some labeled the ceremony as ‘narcissistic’ because the nurses, paramedics, and teachers are using food banks, whereas, so much money is being spent on the coronation.
I'll repeat this post every day …
— Baffled Ape – #SupportTheStrikes #PeoplePower (@ApeBaffled) April 19, 2023
When #Nurses, #Paramedics & #Teachers are using #FoodBanks
This £100Million Narcissistic wank fest, is just repugnant. End of! #r4today #Wato #NotMyKing #NotMyQueen #Coronation #AbolishTheMonachy pic.twitter.com/g1WdoyPGb7
Ojay posted a picture of a homeless man begging and accused that ‘the coronation of an unelected billionaire (King Charles) from England who has the hereditary privilege and obscene wealth is forced down our throats.’
@Tesco force down our throats the coronation of an unelected billionaire from England who has hereditary privilege and obscene wealth, while a homeless man begs for food outside its store in Wales.@LlamauUK @CymorthCymru#AbolishTheMonachy #NoMoreMonarchy pic.twitter.com/AFHHLG8QJN
— Ojay (@Ojay10351605) April 16, 2023
A protest rally has also been organised on the day of the coronation and citizens are urged to participate with placards and leaflets.
Come and join the protest. May 6. Trafalgar Square. Details at https://t.co/yhI6dCkcD4 #NotMyKing #AbolishTheMonarchy pic.twitter.com/PftyU7JgL5
— Republic (@RepublicStaff) April 18, 2023
Notably, King Charles’ total personal wealth is estimated to be £1.815 billion. Much of his private wealth is generated from his and his family’s public duties as working royals, from large hereditary estates that pay out tens of millions of dollars each year to official state presents that have been incorporated into private property.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as the cost of living continues to affect households, the UK economy will contract and perform worse than other major economies. It would shrink by 0.6% in 2023, and not grow as originally expected, according to the organization.
YouGov Poll
Over half of the people in Britain are of the opinion that the Coronation of King Charles should not be paid for by taxpayers, according to the YouGov poll.
YouGov carried out the survey with 51% of the respondents surveyed answering that they didn’t think the government should pay for the ceremony. Nearly a third, 32%, agreed it should, and about 18% were unsure.
The prospect of the ceremony being sponsored by the taxpayers was especially unpopular with the younger generation. Of the 4,246 persons polled, 62% of those aged 18 to 24 opposed government funding of the coronation, while 15% supported it.
The results were more evenly split among those 65 and older, with 44% asserting that it shouldn’t be government-funded, while 43% were in agreement. 25 percent of people aged between the ages of 25 and 49 expressed that the coronation should be remitted by the government, while 55 percent did not, and 46 percent of people aged between 50 to 64 believed that it ought to.
The coronation was described as an ‘expensive pantomime’ and a ‘slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost of living crisis’ by Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy organisation Republic.
Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has previously stated that there will be no ‘lavishness or excess’ and that the King and the government are ‘mindful of ensuring that there is value for the taxpayer.’
However, he added, “It is a marvelous moment in our history and people would not want a dour scrimping and scraping,” to the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee at the beginning of the year.
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation cost £912,000 in 1953, which is equivalent to £20.5 million in today’s times, whereas the late King George VI’s coronation cost £454,000, which is equivalent to $24.8 million in 2023, and was the most expensive in the last 300 years.
