How much King Charles' 'cut-price' coronation cost taxpayers

The cost to taxpayers of King Charles’ ‘cut-price’ coronation last year was £72 million.

New figures released by the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) show the ministry covered £50.3 million of the final figure, with a further £21.7 million coming from the Home Office to meet policing around the event, which was watched by an estimated two billion people globally.

That compares to £162 million spent on the late Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and £8.77 billion on hosting the London 2012 Olympics.

In the run up to the May 2023 event there was huge debate over the cost of holding such an historic state occasion against the background of a cost of living crisis.

Both Buckingham Palace and the government made clear they felt that while costs needed to be kept down, the event was also both an historic occasion and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase ‘UK plc’ on a global stage.

Certain elements of the event - codenamed ‘Operation Golden Orb’ - were very much ‘stripped down’, particularly in comparison with 1953 when Queen Elizabeth was crowned.

The guest list was slashed from 8,000 invitees to just 2,000, with many peers left off the guest list and those invited told not to wear their traditional gowns.

Velvet chairs especially made for the late Queen’s coronation were replaced with standard seating.

But there was still enough pomp and pageantry on the day, supporters argued, to satisfy traditionalists.

A DCMS spokesman said: ‘The Coronation was a historic state occasion that brought together millions of people across the country, the realms and the Commonwealth.

 'It was an important diplomatic event, and the biggest gathering of world leaders in a generation, putting Britain on a global stage and showcasing the best of British culture and creativity to the world.

‘In line with rules regulating the spending of taxpayers money, all efforts were made to keep costs to a minimum.’

Buckingham Palace declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the government.

But sources have stressed the coronation was both ‘a state occasion and a historic one, which showcased the dynamism of the UK on a global stage’.

It attracted 450 official representatives from 185 overseas countries and territories, with an estimated two billion people watching the event worldwide.

This meant, they said, that ‘the eyes of the world were on the UK for a once-in-a generation event’ which paid dividends to the country in terms of global interest and investment.

UK Hospitality alone predicted a £350 million boost to the service industry as a result, both from tourism and home-grown celebrations over the coronation weekend.

Another source added: ‘The coronation proved that the soft power of the Royal Family to this country is unique. It was both a moment of national unity and in investment in the country globally.

‘Plans were scaled back massively from those in place in 1953 to keep costs down and a lot of thought went into seeking the right balance given the challenging financial environment.

‘The government were keen for this to be a big state event given the global interest.’