More than half of British people do not want the upcoming coronation of King Charles III to be funded by taxpayers, according to a new YouGov poll conducted and published on Tuesday. The poll found that 51 percent of the 4,246 adults surveyed believe that the May 6 ceremony to crown Charles and Camilla should not be paid for by the government, with only 32 percent in favor and 18 percent undecided.
This sentiment may be due to the cost-of-living crisis and widespread employee strikes across the public and private sectors. The UK is currently facing a cost-of-living crisis as decades-high inflation eats away at earnings. The situation is seen as factoring into the muted enthusiasm seen so far for the long weekend of celebrations.
The government has not disclosed the cost of the coronation, but it is expected to be in the tens of millions of pounds due to a massive security operation and set-piece events, including a Westminster Abbey ceremony and Windsor Castle concert. The country will also get an extra bank holiday on Monday May 8, which has an additional economic cost.
The poll also found that younger people were less in favor of taxpayers funding the occasion than older adults. Around 62 percent of those aged 18 to 24 were opposed to the coronation being government-funded, while 15 percent were in favor. However, among over-65s, 43 percent supported taxpayers funding it, while 44 percent were against.
Government minister Oliver Dowden has previously insisted that colleagues and the monarch were “mindful of ensuring that there is value for the taxpayer” and there will not be “lavishness or excess.” But Graham Smith, chief executive of campaign group Republic, has called the coronation an “expensive pantomime” and a “slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.”
The total cost and breakdown of funding will likely not be available until after the May 6 event, as occurs with other royal occasions such as jubilees. However, the 1953 coronation of Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, cost £912,000 in 1953 — £20.5 million in today’s money. Meanwhile, his grandfather George VI was crowned at a cost of £454,000 in 1937, which is worth £24.8 million in 2023.
In conclusion, the YouGov poll highlights the public’s concerns regarding the cost of King Charles III’s coronation and the current cost-of-living crisis. Despite assurances from government officials that there will not be “lavishness or excess,” campaign groups such as Republic have criticized the coronation as an “expensive pantomime.” The total cost and breakdown of funding will not be available until after the May 6 event, but it is expected to be in the tens of millions of pounds.
