Several months have already elapsed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II and although everyone knows that it will be her son Carlos III who will come to the throne, due to different protocol acts, the coronation ceremony will take place next Saturday, May 6.
According to what was reported by people close to the British Royal House, Charles III is expected to star in an “austere, modern and cheap” coronation; however, this does not necessarily mean that the event has low costs or organization expenses.
The big questions regarding this historic event are how much the coronation ceremony of Carlos III will cost and, above all, who or who will pay these expenses.
What the coronation ceremony of Carlos III will cost
According to what was said by the British government and by the people of Buckingham Palace, what will reign in the coronation ceremony of Carlos III is austerity, especially when compared to what was carried out at the time with his mother, Elizabeth II. , in 1953.
This is because the country is submerged in a crisis regarding the high cost of living, as well as various far-reaching strikes by employees, both in the public and private sectors.
To this we must add that the coronation of Carlos III will take place just at the moment when official figures have shown that food prices have increased by 19% in just one year, the highest rate since 1977 in the Kingdom. United. The headline annual CPI rate decreased slightly to 10.1% in March after 10.4% in February.
That is why next Saturday a large demonstration by the anti-monarchist group Republic is expected in central London. 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 said.
The “Operation Golden Orb” committee, which is in charge of planning the ceremony, estimates that the event could cost around $125 million, despite a guest list of about 2,000 people being drawn up.
In 1953, when Elizabeth II was crowned, Britain was recovering from World War II; with food rationing still in effect, Winston Churchill’s government spent $20 million for the event.
“In today’s money, the 1953 coronation cost about $63 million, but the estimates for King Charles are double that because of things like security, which weren’t such a big deal back then,” a palace source said. .
Who will pay for the coronation ceremony of Carlos III?
According to the same source from the palace, the broadcasting rights paid by television stations around the world will cover most of the expenses, as well as the economic benefit that tourism will leave in the coming days.
In addition, as it is a “State ceremony”, the expenses of the coronation of Carlos III will also be covered with government aid, that is, with taxpayer money, something that is not being well seen.
Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said weeks ago that the king and government are “mindful to ensure 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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