No to Taxpayer Funding for King Charles Coronation

Synopsis

Over half of Britons oppose taxpayer funding for the coronation of King Charles III, according to a recent YouGov poll. The survey found that 51% of respondents believed that the May 6 ceremony should not be funded by the government.

News Points

  • 51% of Britons do not want the coronation of King Charles III to be paid for by taxpayers, according to a YouGov poll.
  • Nearly one-third of respondents believe that the government should pay for the ceremony, while 18% did not know.
  • The cost of the coronation has not been disclosed, but it is expected to run into tens of millions of pounds.
  • Younger people, aged 18 to 24, were least in favour of taxpayer funding for the event.
  • Government minister Oliver Dowden has insisted that the occasion will not involve "lavishness or excess".
  • Campaign group Republic has called the coronation an "expensive pantomime" that is a "slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis".
  • The total cost and funding breakdown will likely not be available until after the May 6 event.
  • The situation is seen as factoring into the muted enthusiasm seen so far for the long weekend of celebrations
  • The government is yet to disclose how much it will all cost, with a Westminster Abbey ceremony on Saturday May 6 and Windsor Castle concert on Sunday May 7 among the set-piece events
  • The 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II cost £912,000 in 1953 (£20.5 million in today's money)
  • George VI's coronation in 1937 cost £454,000 (£24.8 million in 2023)

No to Taxpayer Funding for King Charles III’s Coronation

The recent YouGov poll has revealed that 51 percent of British citizens are against the government funding the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Camilla, which is scheduled to take place on May 6th, 2023. Meanwhile, approximately 32 percent of respondents believe that the government should fund the ceremony, while the remaining 18 percent did not have an opinion on the matter.

The survey results come amid a cost-of-living crisis in the UK, as inflation continues to soar to record highs, resulting in significant employee strikes across public and private sectors. It is believed that this situation has contributed to the muted enthusiasm surrounding the long weekend of celebrations. Furthermore, the government has not disclosed the total cost of the event, although it is predicted to cost tens of millions of pounds.

The coronation ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey on May 6th, with a Windsor Castle concert set to follow on May 7th. A massive security operation is also expected to be in place throughout the weekend, which will culminate in an additional bank holiday on May 8th. The economic cost of this holiday is expected to be significant.

The coronation of King Charles III will not be the first time that the UK has spent significant amounts of money on such an event. The 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles' mother, cost £912,000 in 1953 (equivalent to £20.5 million in today’s money). Meanwhile, his grandfather George VI was crowned in 1937 at a cost of £454,000 (equivalent to £24.8 million in 2023).

The poll conducted by YouGov involved 4,246 adult respondents, with younger people being the most opposed to the government funding the coronation ceremony. Approximately 62 percent of respondents aged 18 to 24 were against the ceremony being taxpayer-funded, while 15 percent were in favor. In contrast, 43 percent of respondents aged over 65 supported the government funding the event, while 44 percent opposed it.

While some government ministers have insisted that the ceremony will not be excessively lavish, Republic CEO Graham Smith has described it as an “expensive pantomime” and a “slap in the face for millions of people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.”

The government is yet to provide a full breakdown of the funding for the event, but it is expected that the information will be released after the coronation takes place.

Summary

More than half of British people do not want to pay for King Charles III's coronation ceremony on May 6th, according to a YouGov poll. The poll found 51% of respondents were against the government funding the event, which is predicted to cost tens of millions of pounds. The cost-of-living crisis and wide-ranging strikes by public and private sector employees, alongside an additional economic cost of an extra bank holiday on May 8, are seen as factoring into the muted enthusiasm seen so far for the long weekend of celebrations. Younger people, who have been hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis, were the least in favour of the coronation being government-funded. The 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II cost £912,000 in 1953 (£20.5 million in today's money) while George VI's coronation in 1937 cost £454,000 (£24.8 million in 2023).