Weeks ago, I read a piece about how most European monarchies have made efforts to tone down their coronations over the past 20 years. While there is still some pomp, monarchies in Spain and The Netherlands have tried to downsize and simplify their coronations. Sweden will likely have a downsized coronation when Victoria becomes queen as well. But not the UK, not King Charles. He wants the razzle-dazzle. He wants all of his royal and political contemporaries to trot over to London to watch a billionaire’s hat ceremony. And he wants the British taxpayer to pick up the exorbitant costs. Originally, this whole mess was supposed to cost $100 million, which was already bad enough. But now it looks like it will cost upwards of £250 million, mostly due to security.
A massive security operation will push the cost of the Coronation of King Charles III into the realm of £250 million. A huge chunk – around £150 million – will be needed to deploy thousands of police officers and protection squads, insiders reveal. The rest goes on staging the ceremony and three days of celebrations.
The eye-watering cost to taxpayers is despite the King’s wishes for a slimmed-down, cost-effective monarchy. It cost Britain £1.57 million to stage the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 – around £47 million in today’s money. But ever-increasing security threats and a series of planned domestic protests have sent costs for Saturday’s event – codenamed Operation Golden Orb – soaring way above earlier estimates of £100 million.
Home Office sources revealed last night that a special air traffic control schedule has been drawn up for dignitaries flying in. Security will be tightened at landing spots, which include RAF Northolt in Middlesex and RAF Biggleswade, Beds, from Thursday. It comes amid fears that climate change protesters could target the private jet arrivals.
A major operation to stop activists sabotaging Coronation Day itself will see huge numbers of armed officers on the streets, snipers on rooftops, and police drones monitoring crowds for suspicious activity. Groups like Just Stop Oil and Republic could team up to cause disruption. Special Forces will also be on standby as part of the UK Counter Terrorism Defence Mechanism, with Blue Thunder 2 helicopters poised in the event of an attack.
A well-placed Home Office insider said: “Security alone will be up to £150 million, possibly more. It’s a crazy sum, but this is one of the biggest public events in recent history. Thousands are involved – many working overtime. Just getting dignitaries into the country and to their accommodation is a hell of an operation in itself. They will mostly be taken by police escort from the airfields.That’s one small cog in this gigantic security machine – there is so much more to the operation.”
[From The Daily Mirror]
Just think about how simple this could have been if only Charles understood that people are not actually eager to celebrate two septuagenarians with deeply problematic personal and familial histories. Charles could have downsized all of this. In fact, he already “downsized” the procession through the streets of London, but that wasn’t a cost-cutting measure, it was because he remains terrified of egg-tossers and Republic’s bullhorns. And don’t give me “inauguarations cost a lot of money too” – inaugurations are a celebration of the democratic process, a celebration of the peaceful transfer of power between democratically elected heads of state. All of this is for a hereditary monarch who is drunk on power.
Some people are not happy about the coronation. This chant… wow.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
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Britain’s King Charles and Queen Camilla greet people as they visit Colchester Castle in Colchester, Britain, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Chris,Image: 760996867, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: CHRIS RADBURN / Avalon
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Berlin, GERMANY – President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort and First Lady Elke Buedenbender pose with guests at a state banquet at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace in Berlin, Germany.
The King and Queen Consort’s state visit to France, which was scheduled for March 26th – 29th, has been postponed due to ongoing mass strikes and protests.
Pictured: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort
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Berlin, GERMANY – King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla of the UK at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin, for the state banquet on the 1st of a 3 days State visit to Germany.
Pictured: King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla
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King Charles III visit to Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Featuring: General View (Protestors at King Charles III Visit To Milton Keynes)
Where: Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
When: 16 Feb 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
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King Charles III visit to Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Featuring: General View (Protestors at King Charles III Visit To Milton Keynes)
Where: Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
When: 16 Feb 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
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King Charles III visit to Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Featuring: General View (Protestors at King Charles III Visit To Milton Keynes)
Where: Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
When: 16 Feb 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
**North America Rights Only**
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King Charles III visit to Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire, to celebrate its new status as a city, awarded as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Featuring: King Charles III
Where: Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
When: 16 Feb 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
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Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
Featuring: King Charles III
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 13 Mar 2023
Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images
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Protesters await the arrival of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort for the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster where the King will distribute the Maundy Money.
Featuring: Protesters
Where: York, United Kingdom
When: 06 Apr 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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King Charles III and Queen Consort attending the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster where the King will distribute the Maundy Money. Picture date: Thursday April 6, 2023.
Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort
Where: York, United Kingdom
When: 06 Apr 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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King Charles III and the Queen Consort attend a ceremony to present new Standards and Colours to the Royal Navy, the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, The King’s Company of the Grenadier Guards and The King’s Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force at Buckingham Palace in London.
Featuring: King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort
Where: United Kingdom
When: 27 Apr 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
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King Charles III presents new Standards and Colours to the Life Guards of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, at Buckingham Palace in London.
Featuring: King Charles III
Where: United Kingdom
When: 27 Apr 2023
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages
**NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Total waste of money. Let’s change the topic. How about the two, back to back Willie Nelson 90th Birthday concerts at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend. Star studded! Would love to see some backstage pics.
I agree, a total waste of money. No one wants this.
Oh Willy, bless you. I’d love to hear about his birthday! Sound’s like a blast!
Here are some awesome photos my buddy took. https://www.statesman.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/2023/04/30/willie-nelson-birthday-hollywood-bowl-see-rehearsal-photos-chris-stapleton-billy-strings/11769194002?utm_source=SND&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=statesman&mibextid=Zxz2cZ#lh2qt1wjc3acpbduk9
@Lawdhavemercy WOW – Thank you so much! Great photos. My 29-year old son went to both nights and loved it! I shared your link with him. So fun to see all the singers hanging out and getting ready. xx
Fun fact: I once smoked out with Willy at one of his concerts a few years ago. I only recall entering his tour bus with friends, a big red lacquer heart shaped box filled with weed and after one hit – that’s the last thing I remembered was getting to my seat. LOL
This is disgusting . Why is this even being allowed? Can’t parliament step in and stop this nonsense? That money could be going to the families that need it. What a damn disgrace.
Except people keep voting for the ‘if you’re poor it’s your own fault’ party and here we are.
@sarahcs We have a lot of that in the US too.
I like your version of the party name though – stealing it!
Unfortunately, the MPs in Parliament are corrupt too, not to mention buddy-buddies with the BRF and the British Media.
Hmmmmm. Perhaps if he had invited the aristos from who he needs actual support instead of legally elected world leaders who don’t want anything to do with the monarchy it would be much less expensive.
But again. I think he sold a bunch of seats.
Also. Aren’t the palaces the most “secure” places in Britain? Couldn’t they have been working on remodeling – since it needs doing anyway – and housed everyone there? Too logical I understand. I wonder if Charles will allow paid tours of Frogmore for those who came wishing to see and interact with Harry and Meghan.
From a security perspective, housing a large number of diplomats and dignitaries under one roof make that building an enormous target. It’s safer to have everybody spread out.
This has been driving me crazy from the very beginning!
Just do the thing like you know you should! Pomp! Tradition! Coronets and crimson robes! Tiaras! Mystical hoohaa! Why wreck every single portion of this thing and make it an entirely uninteresting disaster while snubbing his own base on top of it all!?
it is also stated in The Guardian that Security alone will be up to £150 million+ will be for security.
The worst part is that they need to spend so much money because he is so unpopular. All of the extra money to protect his ego. Revolting.
Charles is not the people’s king. He is an arrogant gasbag so thoroughly out of touch it would be laughable if it weren’t so outrageously expensive.
250M pounds and they still couldn’t scare up tuppence for Harry’s security.
Welp.
It’s too late to do anything about this now. Parliament is too generous with the people’s money. The king’s unbridled arrogance and overblown sense of entitlement have been encouraged from birth. I guess it starts with being given that extra sausage and the best bed with the best view and being told you deserve nothing but the best because you (and not your brother) will be king!
It allowed because the cost is enriching the right people. It just a way for his supporters to profit. We focus on the cost, but the real question is, who are the people this money is going to?
THIS.
Giant money laundering hat show?
Well I know who I want to see singing next weekend. Outstanding.
Bless them. It really can be the new national anthem this week.
Honestly, I’m still humming it.
It’s catchy! I hummed it as I took the bin out for garbage day this morning; appropriate, non? After scrolling through some of the comments on Twitter, I bet chuckles thinks that one banner refers to the TV show and not him!
Wonderful, isn’t it? 😄
Beyond belief!
Gov’t needs to declare an emergency meeting and say hell NO!
Kc can use his own money or stop it, the taxpayers will not pay this.
One more brick in the wall for the end of The Monarchy.
Protestors take to the streets!
*AND* now the oath… Cannot wait to see tomorrow’s surprise. This is going to be some week…
Seriously, each new day brings more news about what a trainwreck this is
This is not going well, and it’s only Monday!
The increased security costs are not surprising. This is down to Charles’ ego pure and simple. He made a change that…well…changed everything.
Originally, the coronation would be attended by the British aristocracy. Their security needs are minimal – what danger is there to the Duchess of Nothing in Particular?
Instead, Charles invited world leaders. This group needs to be under police escort at all times. Snipers, undercover officers, and specially trained deployment officers need to be deployed.
Charles knew this – it was a bait and switch. Glad Biden is not going.
Celtics fans chanting! Good for them.
Sorry, but I want to vomit when I see these too. They are vile, horrible people and most unsightly. And Old Leatherguts wearing Liz’s coronation robes. Ugh. A pair of arrogant, nasty home-wreckers.
“Old Leatherguts”. OMFG I’m on the floor behind that one.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
And can you believe some people were blaming on Harry as if it’s going to cost an extra $150 million to protect him. That extra money is for squashing an anti-monarchy rebellion. And I suspect to buy up all the eggs across the nation so they won’t get thrown at C & C.
The way they are trying to blame the extra costs on the protestors. Yeah no. It shouldn’t cost that much to clean up some eggs.
The comments on those videos are hilarious.
I’m on board with the ones about crowdfunding coaches for next weekend. That would be money well spent.
Are they trying to blame the extra security costs almost entirely on the protestors? That’s…something. Many unprintable somethings.
Yes that’s the part that got me.
He honestly looks incredible ill. Pasty pale and clammy.
If he has Covid for his fancy hat party… well. May he have the coronation he deserves.
Wow you don’t say! How did that happen. So many don’t like you Chuckles that they are hiring more security to keep you safe from protesters and egg throwers and the boo’ers and still you can’t read the room. Shocking.
The inauguration parties are funded by the GOP or DNC and their donors, not the tax payers. Taxpayers fund the costs of the swearing in portion of US president inauguration that is held at the capital building. The costs to taxpayers don’t rise to anything that the UK is paying for Charles’ coronation…..plus international dignitaries are not invited to attend US President inauguration. It’s for the people to witness and celebrate the swearing in of the president they elected.
There is no equivalency between the UK coronation and any US inauguration.
“You can shove your coronation up your arse!” I’ll be singing this all day.
They also gave us “Lizzie’s in a box, in a box!” When QE2 died..safe to say they are, ah, not fans of the monarchy.
Correction: not the same group of fans. But same energy ha!
I get that the presence of so many foreign dignitaries necessitates many of these precautions, but for the most part, “for security” sounds a lot like scapegoating the peaceful protesters from groups like Republic, who don’t think there should be a monarchy at all, for…the cost of the monarchy.
Yes. It makes it sound like they are calling the protesters terrorists. Are they going to use that as an excuse to arrest?
Ha -the Celtic tweets!😂
Since he was going to spend all that money anyway, imagine everyone on a pension or other welfare payment was gifted £500, as a way of him thanking his “subjects” (ugh) as his appreciation for their past allegiance and loyalty, to the crown, and to help ease the burden of the cost of living. That would have been noble, and softened the hearts of the people. But, nah, he’d rather blow it to have people watching someone whack a fancy hat on his head. Naff off, you twat.
A real king—a good king would have forgone his need for a coronation and diverted those funds toward the homeless and housing and cost-of-living crises in his country. This person is no king.
Commissioning a brand new carriage was an unnecessary expenditure. So what if the existing carriage is uncomfortable to ride in. They only use very few times for a very short period of time. Once thing is certain: King Charles wants a coronation to outdo any other coronation in Europe.
Uncomfortable? Stick a cushion under your arse, you numpty. But, aww, he wanted a brand new coach for his queen. One that Diana had never been in.
Gotta love the Scots
Ahem, some members of the royal family might quite intrigued by that crowd’s cheeky coronation chant.
😝
LOL
How is this a surprise one week before the event?
It isn’t. It is a bait and switch.
Coronations are usually attended by the British aristocracy, British MPs, and dignitaries. Their security needs are minimal – what danger is there to the Duchess of Devonothing? Similar to security at a royal wedding.
However, Charles decided to up the stakes of his shindig by inviting heads of state. This group needs to be under police escort at all times. Snipers, undercover officers, and specially trained deployment officers need to be deployed.
Charles knew this – it was a bait and switch. Glad Biden is not going.
I took issue with the Say No to Oil group when they tomato souped the Van Gogh, but I really hope they tomato soup the Chubbly.
Also, its very telling that the CBC, our publicly funded media in Canada, has had very very little coverage in the lead up to the coronation. Maybe there will be article roll outs as the week progresses, but nothing compared to the Marriages, Philip and QEII’s deaths. I think that the broadcaster has probably correctly read the room and are clear that Canadians as a whole don’t give a rats ass about Charles or his side-piece.
Charles and Camilla laughing openly at indigenous throat singers was hopefully the last straw. No one is Canada is particularly excited, and I don’t even know if our media will be providing live coverage at all. Which is HILARIOUS.
With all that money the outfits they wore pictured are awful.
He may regret the excesses in years to come. Too bad no one try to dissuade him
It’s shameful — all this money to feed Charles’ ego. It’s just gross. The upside: It has to supercharge opposition to the monarchy, right?? I mean, we’re not living in the days when the exorbitant costs of events like these were hidden from the people.
And hurray for the Celtic fans. They have a way with words! That chant is the best earworm ever.
My take on this is that the RF and Rota had always known that these would always be the costs, but they were going to distract via Harry & Meghan.
Now that H&M are not coming and the whole event is looking to be a flop – the Rota and toxic media still need to shift copy and generate clicks.
I predict the next stage of evolution of the Rota and toxic Murdoch media will be to punish Chuckles if he can’t deliver Meghan to them from time to time whilst also incentivising the Markles to create situations where they have proximity with Meghan.
I also have concerns about Meghan signing with WME. Overall it’s without a doubt a fantastic things, but I worry about a compromised executive engineering a situation where she might be manipulated into an event also attended by toxic UK media etc.
Anyway, let’s wait and see…
In that top picture, Chuck looks like he’s been only partially re-animated from dead flesh. Someone better get the machine up and working at full power before the week-end!
King Zombie and Queen Ghoul.
This is positively grotesque and obscene. Especially since the other European royals stopped holding coronations by 1905 because they were perceived as anachronistic.
Blame it on protestors, try to distract by focusing on Harry and Meghan, but it’s increasingly evident to all that the Royal Family is the Emperor with no clothes.
The last coronation in Denmark was in 1840! With the abolition of the absolutist monarchy in 1848, this kind of royal ceremonial was completely dropped. Ever since the new monarch is simply proclaimed by the PM, generally from the balcony of the Parliament.
Proclaiming it from the balcony of the Parliament is more than enough ceremony! This is a vanity project supported mostly by those old robe and tiara-wearing brigade. It’s unjustifiable.
Total waste of money. I’m angry Canada will be hosting it’s own celebrations and wasting Canadian tax dollars !
Poor Charles he has waited his whole life for this moment, so he is exploiting it at all costs.
The man’s been waiting 74 years for this moment. There’s no way in hell he’s going to have a cheap, scaled-down coronation. It’s His Special Day. I don’t know why anyone thought he’d do otherwise.
The Guardian had an opinion article this weekend that was titled something like, We Know How Rich King Charles Is, Why Can’t He Pay For His Own Coronation?
There are definitely going to be protests. If you can’t heat your home or afford to buy food, why wouldn’t you protest having to pay for this crap?
I call BS on this. There’s no way that security just became an issue now. I think they did not want to release this $250m amount, but they knew it all along.
I hope there are plenty of Celtics fans singing their special anthem at the Chubbly for old Upchuck and Pruneface! This is going to be SUCH a gong show.
I really don’t understand this huge expense at a time in the UK where people are really struggling financially. How can they think this is a good look? They should adopt the Danish model whereunder a sovereign is simply proclaimed as such from a balcony to an adoring crowd. That’s it. No muss, no fuss, no expense.
One thing to realize about these sorts of security costs is that it’s basically the police lining their own pockets. All of those police lining the route are getting paid, probably overtime. When there is a big How can we get as much money in our guy’s pockets as possible is as much a concern as the safety of the participants and crowd.
If 250 is the number they are willing to release, it’s a safe bet that when it’s all said and done, the price tag will be revised upward.
Add in the unpaid bank holiday and lost tourist revenue because of the heightened security, plus conanation-themed merch doesn’t exactly seem to be flying off the shelves, and you have a boondoggle of epic proportions.
They probably figure it’s gonna be the last one and they better really soup it up.
I am finding the whole thing absolutely sickening .
The only thing I care about is Harry getting safely home again.
250 million pounds? My God, how can that possibly be “sustainable?” How are new solid gold crowns sustainable? That money is GONE, just thrown out the window.
Also, does 250 million pounds really mean 500 million pounds? Who’s going to check the royal family’s accounts? No one. Sorry for the above– I meant solid gold thrones.
This whole thing is starting to look like a giant money laundering operation