By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-21 21:01:43 | Updated at 2024-11-22 02:36:18
5 hours ago
King Charles’ coronation last year cost British taxpayers £72 million (US$90.7 million), official accounts released late on Thursday revealed.
Critics have argued taxpayer spending on the events was too large and out of touch given the huge demands on stretched public funds and economising in recent years by many Britons.
The figures showed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spent £50.3 million, while the interior ministry’s costs for policing the “once-in-a-generation” event totalled £21.7 million.
Charles was formally crowned monarch at Westminster Abbey in a May 2023 ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.
A star-studded concert at Windsor Castle took place the following night.
The disclosure of the final bill, which had been estimated at more than £100 million, is nonetheless set to spark fresh condemnation from anti-monarchists in the UK.
They have been stepping up their criticisms of the royal family and what they say are excessive and unfair financial benefits it receives in straitened times.
