The Cost of King Charles’ Coronation Came Down to 1 Expense That Had Nothing to Do With the Ceremony Itself — Expert
TL;DR:
- King Charles III’s coronation cost an estimated £100 million or $126 million.
- Security is said to have accounted for the biggest expense.
- King Charles tried to “rein in costs.”
- The actual cost of the coronation isn’t expected to be released until 2024.
King Charles III’s coronation prompted questions from crowns and the dress code to the cost. The exact cost is unknown (more on that later). However, the bulk of the money spent on the king’s May 6 ceremony is believed to be security-related.
Commentators and experts say security for King Charles’ coronation likely cost millions
While millions might’ve tuned in to watch King Charles’ coronation, the most costly item, security, wasn’t front and center during the ceremony. According to Rachel Bowie, co-host of the Royally Obsessed podcast, it accounted for half the estimated total cost of the coronation, £100 million or $126 million.
“Charles’ is estimated to come in at double the cost” of Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation, Bowie said (via Marie Claire). “Mainly due to security needs that have significantly more requirements than seven decades ago.”
“Any time you have a large number of people put together—the Olympics, the World Cup, Trooping the Colour—there will be a large security presence,” royal expert Victoria Arbiter said.
“You have to. And it’s not just about protecting the royal family, but the public as well,” she added. “Security costs will amount for the highest costs.”
King Charles tried to ‘rein in costs’ for his coronation
Cost-cutting measures were implemented by King Charles despite the coronation’s supposedly hefty price tag.
“Charles is specifically trying to rein in costs and shrink things down,” Kinsey Schofield, To Di For Daily podcast host, said. “Even the procession route is, aside from it being more sustainable to shorten the route, it’s cheaper security-wise to shorten the route.”
“The cost is dramatically different than the [Platinum]Jubilee or the queen’s funeral,” Schofield added. She also noted “positive PR” will be a “return on investment.”
Essentially, the king made the coronation simpler than that of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. According to royal expert Victoria Arbiter, it centered upon creating a balance between tradition and modernity.
“It’s all about the king wanting to observe traditions while at the same time making sure he is aligning with his vision for a sustainable future,” Arbiter said.
“The man puts his money where his mouth is,” she continued, mentioning how certain items were reused.
The coronation’s exact cost isn’t expected to be revealed until 2024
Estimates on the cost of the coronation are all the public’s going to get. At least for now. That is until the royal family’s 2023 financials are revealed in 2024, according to Arbiter.
“We are probably not going to get a cost until the royal family’s financials are published next year,” the royal expert said.
She continued, saying all estimates regarding the coronation’s cost should be met with a hefty dose of skepticism.
“That doesn’t stop people throwing around all kinds of facts and figures,” Arbiter said. “But there’s no official word, so take all of those with an almighty spoonful of salt. Not a grain of salt—a spoonful.”
There’s also what came along with the coronation that’s more difficult to quantify on a financial document: “Unity and a national pride that is kind of lacking these days.”
King Charles had his coronation on May 6 in London, England, at Westminster Abbey after automatically taking the throne upon Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022.
