The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was an event that many royal watchers will remember for decades. The main event at Westminster Abbey was just one part of a long weekend of celebrations.
Figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the government department responsible for the organisation of the historic event, have now been released, showing the Coronation cost £72 million, including policing.
The Coronation of King Charles III – Charles and Camilla wave from the balcony at Buckingham Palace
£50.3 million was spent on the event, while policing costs amounted to £21.7 million, paid for by the Home Office.
The figure equates to approximately £1.05 per Briton, however it is unusual that the cost of security has been included. Each year, we have the official reports of the Sovereign Grant and how this was spent, which is effectively government funding for the Monarchy.
Security is not part of this report since it is funded by the Metropolitan Police – under the Home Office – and requests to understand annual spending on close protection officers as well as policing of public engagements are rebuffed. This has long been a critque of the Royal Family and its true cost. These figures will not be hugely welcomed across the nation given the ongoing high costs of living.
DCMS accounts show an ‘underspend’ related to the coronation of around £2.8 million.
This is £90 million lower than Elizabeth II’s funeral, which totalled £162 million in 2022 and consisted of £57 million organisational costs in England and across the devolved nations, and £74 million on security. However, her more restrained post-war coronation of 1953 cost in the region of £20 million in today’s money (£912,000 at the time).
The Coronation, which took place on 6th May at Westminster Abbey, resulted in more than 100,000 pieces of media coverage and reached a global audience of around 2 billion people in 125 countries. In addition, the historic moment that marked the first Coronation in over 70 years pulled in an impressive average viewing of 12.8 million people to the three-hour programme.
DCMS described the event as ‘a once-in-a-generation moment which provided an occasion for the entire country to come together in celebration, and offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world’.
Other events also took place across the Coronation weekend, including the Coronation Big Lunch. Figures from DCMS have shown that almost 1 in XX people celebrated the Big Lunch, with £14.4 million being raised for charity. The Lunch, according to the Department, allowed for communities to put on parties ‘in a nationwide act of celebration and friendship’.
Prince William and Kate, with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at a Coronation Big Help Out event with local Scouts in Slough
The Coronation Concert saw 20,000 people gather in the grounds of Windsor Castle, with many securing their ticket in a national public ballot to ensure fairness. Stars including Lionel Richie, Take That, Olly Murs, and Katy Perry performed the following night. Volunteers from The King and Queen’s charitable affiliations were also given the opportunity to attend this event.
One final part of the celebrations was The Big Help Out, which encouraged people to support community groups and volunteer. Over 6 million people take part and more than 47,400 Big Help Out events were held over the Coronation weekend. The Big Help Out also saw Prince Louis carry out his first royal engagement, where he joined his parents and siblings at Upton Scouts Hut in Slough.
While a Bank Holiday cost the UK as people were off work for the day, hotel revenue was also said to be up by 54% compared to the same time in 2022, while flights to the UK during the coronation weekend increased significantly, by 149% within 24 hours of the day being announced, according to TravelPort.
