The coronation of King Charles III will unfold with a grand military procession if weather allows, followed by a concert at Windsor Castle featuring thousands of participants. Estimates from British media suggest the historic event could reach about 100 million dollars in cost, roughly 113 million euros. It stands as the most expensive ceremony in the monarchy’s more than a millennium of history, despite Charles trimming guest lists to about 2,200 from more than 8,000 at the previous reign, and shortening both the ceremony and the parade route.
The price tag reflects a vast security operation designed to welcome hundreds of world leaders. Some 30,000 police officers have been deployed for the occasion. On the day of the coronation, around 11,500 will be on duty, marking what officials describe as the largest police mobilization on a single day in decades. The security plan involves the use of facial recognition cameras to identify potential threats, along with snipers, river patrols on the Thames, and airspace restrictions over London during the events on Friday and Saturday.
bad moment
The timing could hardly be harder for the country’s economy. Inflation remains stubbornly high, with prices rising beyond 10 percent, while workers have faced rising living costs and intermittent protests and strikes across the civil service. The public mood has turned doubtful about public funds covering the coronation, with recent polling showing a split view on who should bear the costs. A YouGov survey indicated a majority of managers believe the government should fund the ceremony, while a significant portion of respondents think the royal family should cover the expenses themselves, or are unsure or unwilling to answer.
In public commentary, some voices question whether the monarch’s modernization should coincide with personal accountability for inherited wealth. Critics point to the royal fortune—comprising racehorses, paintings, and other assets—held by the family, arguing that such resources could offset the costs. A columnist for a major national newspaper suggested that the king could address the issue by paying taxes on inherited wealth and funding his own coronation. The debate has also touched on the broader issue of transparency and the expectations of a modern constitutional monarchy.
Officials have defended the expenditure by noting that coronations have long been funded by the state as a matter of national significance. They argue that the spectacle, the ceremonial heritage, and the potential boost to tourism and national unity justify the cost. A government spokesperson emphasized that the event is meant to celebrate the nation and its institutions in a manner that brings people together and underscores the country’s identity during a moment of continuity and renewal.
symbolic ritual
The coronation ceremony is not a prerequisite for the monarch to begin his reign. Charles has been king since his mother’s death, and the formal coronation is a traditional enactment that some scholars describe as a centuries‑old ritual reaffirming the transition of divine favor to the new ruler. It is seen as a source of national pride and a peaceful renewal at the apex of constitutional continuity. The event embodies a blend of religious symbolism and civic reverence that many Britons view as a living link to their history and shared identity.
The United Kingdom is notable as the only modern monarchy to retain this formality; other European monarchies either never adopted or later abandoned similar ceremonies. In neighboring nations such as Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, coronations are not part of the modern constitutional framework. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway eventually modified or ended their coronation traditions for various governance or economic reasons. In Spain, there has been no coronation since the unification of Castile and Aragon. Some scholars suggest that the UK could adapt its ceremony without infringing on legal frameworks, illustrating that the concept of a coronation oath and associated rites could evolve while preserving the essence of the ritual.