King’s coronation cost £72 million, government accounts show

The figure included £21.7 million for policing the events around the coronation of the King and Queen.

The King seated in St Edward’s Chair, also known as the Coronation Chair, wearing St Edward’s Crown and holding The Sovereign’s Sceptre with the Dove (in his left hand) and The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross (in his right hand) (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archive)

The King’s coronation cost taxpayers £72 million, official accounts have revealed.

The figures included £50.3 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) costs and £21.7 million for the Home Office for policing the “once-in-a-generation” event in May 2023.

Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony attended by dignitaries from around the world.

A star-studded concert at Windsor Castle took place the following night.

The DCMS annual report and accounts said the department “successfully delivered on the central weekend of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation, enjoyed by many millions both in the UK and across the globe”.

DCMS was the lead government department working with the royal household on the coronation, which it described as a “once-in-a-generation moment which provided an occasion for the entire country to come together in celebration, and offered a unique opportunity to celebrate and strengthen our national identity and showcase the UK to the world”.