Royals: How much has the UK taxpayer spent on royal events this year?
This May 6 will see the coronation of King Charles III and the UK is gearing up for a week of celebrations including a royal procession, a royal service, concerts and plenty of street parties.
The coronation wil mark the third major royal event in the space of 12 months – including the Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, followed by Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September of that year.
Most royal events are funded or at least partly funded by the UK taxpayer, and many who are struggling under the cost of living crisis, may not look upon spending big bucks on royal events very favourably.
With the coronation expected to cost the public millions, here’s how much the UK taxpayer has spent on royal events in the past 12 months.
Platinum Jubilee – £28m
The June 2022 celebrations were funded – in part – by the UK taxpayer, with PM Rishi Sunak confirming in the March 2021 budget that the UK taxpayer will be spending £28m on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
But a number of charities also contributed to the bill, with the National Lottery reportedly providing grants of up to £50,000 to around 70 community projects across England. Arts Council England gave grants of up to £10,000 to communities to allow ‘cultural activities’ to flourish during the Jubilee, and also gave around £175,000 to local libraries to help them celebrate.
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral – up to £10m
The exact cost of the state funeral for Britain’s longest-serving monarch – Queen Elizabeth II, is unknown but it’s estimated to have cost somewhere in the region of £ 8 million – £ 10 million.
The Queen’s funeral was the country’s first state funeral since Winston Churchill in 1965 and much of the cost would have fallen on the taxpayer.
The ceremonial funeral in London in 1997 for Princess Diana was estimated to cost around £3-5 million.
King Charles III’s coronation – up to £100m
The exact cost of the King’s coronation has not been disclosed, but it’s been estimated to be around £100 million. As its a state occasion, it will be mostly paid by the British government – meaning its the taxpayer paying the bill.
The past 12 months have seen three major royal events and are estimated to have cost around £138 million. Forbes estimates the royal family bring in around £19 billion in tourism to the UK.