King Charles III Coronation: An insensitive display of grandeur?
With the coronation of King Charles III on the horizon and the extravagant show of over the top pageantry coming at a cost of a reported £100m. The question must be asked as to whether this lavish ceremony is necessary whilst the country is firmly in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
The monarchy has always been a contentious issue and one that people possess strong opinions on. Staunch royalists will proclaim vehemently that the contribution of the monarchy to the country both in terms of tourism and tradition far outweighs the cost to the taxpayer to keep the Windsor family living a life of incomprehensible luxury.
A recent survey by YouGov discovered that more than two thirds of people don’t are about the upcoming coronation. Another survey found that 51% of people do not believe the coronation should be funded by the government.
Although not speaking for the entirety of the country, it does show an indication of changing attitudes towards the monarchy.
Earlier this month it was announced £8m had been allocated to provide schools, courts, councils and police stations with a portrait of Charles to be hung in these establishments. A portrait of the sovereign head of state in classrooms feels like a somewhat outdated concept in modern day Britain.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the debate raged on over the validity of a sovereign head of state in a modern-day UK . Although, it would be extremely naïve to ascertain that there were no supporters of the monarchy in the country, after the mind-boggling scenes that saw citizens queue overnight to catch a glimpse of their queen lying in state.
The cost of the Queen’s funeral whilst not publicly reported was estimated to have cost upwards of £8m and once again came at the expense of the tax payer.
The extreme mourning exhibited by media outlets across the country with presenters adorned in black ties and comedy programming pulled from the air on the BBC as part of operation London Bridge.
The country seemingly grinding to a halt with football matches and other live events cancelled as a mark of respect.
Any opinions in opposition to the monarchy were slapped down as disrespectful by opinion driven outlets such as GB News and TalkTV. Long-winded, seemingly forced heartfelt tributes to the late monarch being wheeled out by the likes of Piers Morgan and Jeremy Kyle.
The latter being a purveyor of daytime television that focused its efforts on putting the issues of the nation’s poorest on display for entertainment. Not the sort of credentials expected for an individual dealing out lessons in morality.
The Scottish Green party caused controversy after they announced that they would be declining invitations to attend the coronation ceremony. With Patrick Harvie saying that coronation of King Charles III brought about an opportunity to talk about “unearned wealth and privilege.”
On Saturday 6 May, millions around the world will tune in to watch Charles’ ascension to the British throne, street parties will be held all across the UK.
Whilst this event takes place, people will struggle to put food on the table, energy bills will go unpaid and the plight of the country’s poorest will continue to be an afterthought to many people glued to their screens.
The national lottery fund has been allocated £3m to distribute to community groups in the UK who wish to host events celebrating the coronation.
Barmulloch Community Development Company Ltd (BCDC) are amongst those on the receiving end of funding having acquired £10,000 to host their coronation party.
However, chief executive, Martin McElroy, insists that the event is more about the community than the celebration of the coronation. He said: “Ever since there has been a monarchy there has been people who have been in favour or not in favour of it. For us the emphasis is about celebrating as a community. “
The BCDC host a ‘C in the Park’ event every year and McElroy added: “This year we wanted it to coincide with the coronation and whilst that is an element, the most important thing for us is families coming together, enjoying themselves, and making memories that will last a life time.”
The money allocated to give back to communities is a drop in the ocean compared to that being spent on the ceremony as a whole.
At a time of financial uncertainty for many families in the UK, use of food banks on the rise – with 1.3 million food parcels being handed out between April and September of last year by the Trussell trust food bank network.
Credit: Trussell Trust
Amidst the backdrop of the cost of living crisis a pomp display of excess in the form of the coronation seems insensitive to the struggles so many are facing on a daily basis.
