dThe Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla scheduled for Saturday 6 May in Westminster was supposed to cost around 100 million pounds. That is, a celebration reduced to a minimum, short and with few Royals in official roles, devoid of excessive pomp enjoyed by Elizabeth II in 1953 (£1.57m; £47m today). Instead, Buckingham Palace admits, the figure for Operation Golden Orb (the event’s codename) just passed 250or almost 300 million euros.
Who will pay for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla?
In a time of serious economic crisis for the countryexasperated by the daily consequences of the high cost of living and angered by a series of long strikes in various public sectors, British taxpayers – while claiming to be proud, for the most part, of the historic occasion – they start to worry.
For many Britons, it is money spent in vain
Moreover, the subjects always ask themselves, will only the government pay? According to a recent survey, taxpayers would prefer Carlo himself to pay the final cost. After all, thanks to the inheritance of the mother today the monarch can boast a personal fortune of almost two billion pounds. Will the Royal Family, notoriously reluctant to disclose the size of their bank accounts and financial movements, fork over anything of their own?
That’s why King Charles has allowed the cost of the Coronation to go up
All the fault of the higher costs than originally foreseen for the security measures. These have been increased due to the current threats not only from terrorist groups but also from anti-monarchist ones, who have been following the new sovereign for months in every public appearance, shouting un-Royal slogans. Or at least that’s how the leaders of the organization justify themselves, anxious about the possibility of attacks against the king especially during processions.
A gigantic security operation
Thousands of extra police officers and bodyguards will be on the streets of central London from the early hours of the morning. Hundreds of snipers will be stationed on the roofs of buildings and thousands of drones will be used to spy, in case of illegal activity, among the millions of citizens who are expected for the celebrations.
The intelligence, paramedical and fire services have all been strengthened, as have units specializing in attacks with chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons. All at a total cost of around 150 million pounds.
Charles and Camilla at a military ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London, April 27, 2023. (Getty Images)
The threat of environmentalists
To the cost of the security measures must be added the expenses for the special air traffic control systems, already implemented in recent days in the major British airports and in those of the Royal Air Forcewhere the arrival of numerous is expected illustrious guests (there will be around 2,000 in all, very few compared to Elisabetta’s 8,000). And here are the international environmental groups like Just Stop Oil to threaten retaliation.
King Charles spares no expense, the government pays so much
The remaining 100 million were, however, reserved for the organization of events, from the ceremony in Westminster Abbey, to the mega concert in Windsor and at street party taking place across the UK from Saturday to Monday. But according to experts, the expenses will be impossible to quantify until the completion of the celebrations and the final costs of the Coronation of King Charles are sure to increase. Regardless of what taxpayers say about it.
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