King Charles’ coronation cost us at least £72million – a figure which could have funded more than 2,000 nurses.
The astronomical cost of the royally extravagant big day, revealed in official figures, has sparked outrage.
Policing the ceremony set us back £21.7m, while a further £50.3m was racked up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
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The money could have instead funded 2,057 nurses based on an average salary of £35,000 to help support our struggling NHS.
And a further 1,107 newly qualified doctors on £65,000 could have been hired.
(Image: Getty Images)
More than 27m free school meals could have also been provided to the country’s poorest children at £2.65 each.
The coronation ceremony in May 2023 was attended by dignitaries from around the world, and a star-studded concert took place at Windsor Castle the following night.
The Government described the coronation as a “once-in-a-generation moment” that enabled the “entire country to come together in celebration”.
But the reality is that only 20m watched on telly.
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, called the coronation as an “obscene” waste of taxpayers’ money.
(Image: Getty Images)
Republic CEO Graham Smith said: “I would be very surprised if £72m was the whole cost.
“It’s a huge amount of money to spend on one person’s parade when there was no obligation whatsoever in the constitution or in law to have a coronation, and when we were facing cuts to essential services.
“It was a parade that Charles insisted on at huge expense to the taxpayer.
“And this is on top of the huge inheritance tax bill he didn’t [have to] pay, on top of the £500m-a-year cost of the monarchy.
“It was an extravagance we simply didn’t have to have.
“It was completely unnecessary and a waste of money in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis in a country that is facing huge amounts of child poverty.
“When kids are unable to afford lunches at school, to spend over £70m on this parade is obscene.”
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