Staggering amount taxpayers forked out for King Charles' coronation revealed

By Victoria Ward

The King's Coronation cost British taxpayers £72 million (approx. AUD$139 million), less than half the cost of Elizabeth II's funeral, the British Government has revealed.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) paid £50.3 million (approx. $97.3 million), with a further £21.7 million (approx. $42 million) from the Home Office to cover policing.

By comparison, the late Queen's state funeral in September 2022 cost £162 million (approx. $313 million).

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That included the lying in state and other events held across the UK during the period of national mourning.

The Coronation came in at £3m (approx. $5.8 million) under budget.

A DCMS spokesman said: "In line with rules regulating the spending of taxpayers money, all efforts were made to keep costs to a minimum.

"The Coronation was a historic state occasion that brought together millions of people across the country, the realms and the Commonwealth.

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"It was an important diplomatic event, and the biggest gathering of world leaders in a generation, putting Britain on a global stage and showcasing the best of British culture and creativity to the world."

The cost was more than three times that of the £912,000 (approx. $1.8 million) spent on the late Queen's 1953 Coronation, which is around £20.5m (approx. $39.6 million) in today's money.

The King's Coronation was on a notably smaller scale than his mother's, with 6,000 fewer guests and a procession that stretched to just 1.3 miles – around a quarter of the length of the late Queen's five-mile celebratory journey.

However, Buckingham Palace swiftly rejected early claims that it would be a "cut price" occasion in light of the cost of living crisis, insisting it would be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of "glorious" pomp and pageantry that would showcase "UK plc" on the global stage.

In the event, plans were scaled back in order to reduce costs but not to the detriment of the required splendour.

Royal sources said huge effort went into striking the right balance between reflecting both the economic downturn and the historic nature of the occasion.

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The Coronation was considered an opportunity to display the unique soft power of the Royal family, bringing significant economic dividends, including a £350 million (approx. $676.7 million) boost to the hospitality sector, and boosting the UK's international prestige.

DCMS outlined the costs in its 2023-24 annual report, published on Thursday.

It described it as "a once-in-a-generation moment" that brought the country together in celebration, and "offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world".

The Coronation Big Lunch raised £14.4 million (approx. $27.8 million) for charity.

The department said the event had generated more than 100,000 news stories and reached an estimated global audience of 2 billion people in 125 countries.

Elsewhere in the report, it describes how nine leading British and British-based artists were commissioned to create "striking new artworks" in response to the Coronation, reflecting on the King's four priorities of youth, community, diversity and sustainability.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2024

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