King Charles' lavish coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey today.
Charles became King on September 8, 2022, after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Today (May 6), eight months on, his coronation will begin at 11am.
The service will take place at Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Royal Family have announced it "will reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry".
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It will come at a price, however. The Mirror reports that the cost will top £250m. Of this, £150m will be for security, as thousands of police officers and protection squads will be deployed.
The rest goes on staging the ceremony and three days of celebrations. The cost to taxpayers comes despite the King’s wishes for a slimmed-down, cost-effective monarchy.
It cost Britain £1.57million to stage the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 – around £47million 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 £100million.
Home Office sources told the Mirror last night that a special air traffic control schedule has been drawn up for dignitaries flying in. This came 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 Home Office insider said: “Security alone will be up to £150million, 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.”
Security expert Mark Scoular – a tactical commander for the weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry – believes the final security bill will go yet higher.
Mark, also Head of Emergency Preparedness for the 2012 Olympics, said: “£150million is a lot, but I think the final sum could be a lot more, because the work that goes into an event like this is monstrous. On Coronation Day itself, there will be entire CBRN – chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear – units across London.
“There will be ammunition technical officers, firearms units will be doubled up, the public order officers on duty will be staggering.
“As part of the UK preparedness strategy, the ambulance service will quadruple their efforts, the fire and rescue service will redouble their efforts. The number working on intelligence will be monumental.
“Every threat has to be assessed, with alternative courses of action recommended. Preparation will have been going on for years. Co-ordinating all of the organisations is like trying to complete a 50,000 piece puzzle without the picture.
"But the view is, if you don’t do it properly, it costs more in the long run. A successful disruption – or worse, an attack – during an event like this affects how the UK is seen on a global level.”
Security expert Philip Ingram said: “The threat from protesters drives up costs. Reports that they may throw rape alarms will cause a massive headache.
“Police will increase the number of plainclothes officers and personnel. The fact the Royals are able to interact with the public while protected by hidden security shows the level of professionalism. However, that does come at a cost.”
There were 8,000 guests at the late Queen’s Coronation, while today's ceremony at Westminster Abbey – after which the Queen Consort will be known as Queen Camilla – will be attended by 2,000. Millions more will line the streets.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport told the Mirror it could not give a cost breakdown until after the event.
A spokesman said: “We are working closely with the police, Royal Household and others to ensure the Coronation is safe and secure. We encourage the public wishing to attend the Coronation to check the guidance on gov.uk to help them prepare."
The Metropolitan Police has been criticised for saying they will "deal robustly" with anyone "undermining celebration" at the King's Coronation. At least 1,700 people will gather for a demonstration in Trafalgar Square today, wearing yellow T-shirts and carrying placards in groups along the procession route.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "Our tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low. We will deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration."
Graham Smith, CEO of pressure group Republic, has now condemned the "really stupid language". He told the Mirror: "Someone needs to tell them that you can't stop people from undermining celebration - you can only stop them from breaking the law.
"We do not plan to undermine celebrations, but if people feel we are then that is not a criminal offence.
"There's some really stupid language that we've been seeing. The police position is that they will not stop us from protesting.
"We've had a lot of communication through team meetings and various phone calls with a dedicated liaison officer. They have said time and time again they have no concerns at all about our plans for protesting."
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