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UK taxpayers divided over funding King Charles III's coronation during cost of living crisis

Small business owners like Lauren Woodfine are struggling — and she thinks the coronation is a waste of money.  (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

From her tattoo parlour in one of the poorest parts of north-west England, Lauren Woodfine has a lot to say about King Charles III's coronation being held in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

"People are struggling to pay the bills, and they haven't got enough left over to be able to feed their families," she told the ABC's 7.30. 

"You see kids in clothes that are far too small for them at school. You want to be able to help them, but you can't because you haven't got the money." 

As she struggled through the recent winter, the 28-year-old tattoo artist came up with a secret weapon at her studio in Morecambe.

"Our energy bills have gone up like, ridiculous amounts ... almost triple. So, we've been using hot water bottles to keep our clients warm," she says.

"And then they're like, 'Yay!' Because they're freezing."

With his country dealing with a cost of living crisis, King Charles had promised a "slimmed down" coronation.

King Charles has promised a "slimmed down" coronation with a shorter ceremony and fewer guests. But the total cost still remains a secret. (Reuters: Henry Nicholls)

There will be a shorter ceremony and fewer guests, but the costs are likely to remain high.

At this stage, the UK government won't say how much it's spending on the coronation, but some estimates put it at between $90-180 million.

"In a time where we can't feed and house our people, I don't really agree on the fact that they're spending so much money. And for a family that's so wealthy," says Ms Woodfine.

"He's just becoming a king. Just put your hat on!"

A recent YouGov poll of around 4,000 Britons found 51 per cent believed the ceremony should not be funded by taxpayers. Only 32 per cent supported the move; 18 per cent said they "don't know".

Despite these figures and the cost of living crisis, there are plenty of Morecambe residents who plan to celebrate the coronation with all its pomp and pageantry.

A once in a lifetime event

Michael Glen is Morecambe's unofficial town crier. On the weekend, he will play the role of master of ceremonies as the seaside town celebrates the coronation.

"We'll have a huge street party right down Morecambe Promenade. We're trying to break the Guinness Book of Records for the biggest street party," he told 7.30.

"It'll be a huge turnout, a huge celebration."

Monarchists like Michael Glen say the benefits of the coronation will outweigh the costs. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

The Scotsman describes himself as a "great royalist" and makes the case that the benefits of the coronation more than compensate for any costs.

"I understand that the cost of living is absolutely dreadful for everybody. It doesn't matter what you do. It has touched the lives of everyone, without doubt," he said.

"But I just think this is a huge historical event. Possibly a lot of us will never see this ever happen again.

"I think what it will bring to the country outweighs the cost."

Just 15 minutes down the road from Morecambe is a reminder of King Charles's immense wealth: Lancaster Castle is part of his 18,000-hectare property portfolio inherited from Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duchy of Lancaster, as the portfolio is known, includes castles, grouse shooting estates, shopping centres, farmlands and the lucrative Savoy estate in London.

Laura Clancy is an academic at Lancaster University and author of Running the Family Firm. As part of her research, she has scrutinised the Royal Family's finances.

Laura Clancy is an academic at Lancaster University. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

"The Duchy of Lancaster, which is estimated to be worth about £650 million ($1.2 billion), was passed sovereign to sovereign, so passed from the Queen to the King," she told 7.30.

"Because of that, they're exempt from a law of parliament. That means they don't have to pay inheritance tax.

"The revenue from the Duchy of Lancaster is about £24 million ($45 million) a year."

Recent estimates by the Guardian put the King's wealth at £1.8 billion or around $3.35 billion.

King Charles III's coronation is set to take place on May 6.  (Reuters: Phil Noble)

But no one can be sure of Charles's true wealth because royal wills are kept secret in the UK. Laura Clancy says it is clear the King doesn't have to pay the same kinds of taxes that normal Brits do.

"Because the monarch is exempt from particulars of parliament, they don't [have to] pay income tax. They don't pay capital gains tax. And they don't pay inheritance tax. They do pay council tax on their different properties," she said.

"Since 1992, they have voluntarily paid income tax on different money they've got from different estates. But they don't announce the amount that tax comes from."

Protesting the coronation

The King's tax affairs and the cost of the ceremony are just two of the reasons that Graham Smith will be spending his coronation day protesting at Trafalgar Square.

"Everybody should be equal in law," the CEO of Republic, a group campaigning for the abolition of the monarchy, told 7.30. "If everybody else pays inheritance tax, they should pay inheritance tax."

Graham Smith says the fact that the coronation is taking place during a cost of living crisis is a "disgrace". (ABC News: Steve Cannane)

"He could easily pay for this parade himself. He's already King. He doesn't need a coronation. It is purely for him to big himself up and say, 'Look at me, I'm King'."

Mr Smith points to the fact that other monarchies in Europe don't hold coronations and believes that public funding could be better spent elsewhere.

"We are wasting huge amounts of money at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, when we can't afford enough police, can't afford enough nurses, can't afford enough teachers. It is a disgrace," he said.

Protesters from Republic want to see the monarchy abolished.  (ABC News: Steve Cannane)

Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who is also his party's deputy chairman, has criticised Mr Smith and his views.

"Britain doesn't need Graham Smith and people like that, to be quite frank," he told 7.30.

"This monarchy we have in the UK, it is the envy of the world. It really is. And you only need to go down to Buckingham Palace, go down the Mall, and see how many people are outside the Palace just staring at the place."

Lee Anderson says nobody does pomp and pageantry like the British. (ABC News: Andrew Greaves)

Mr Anderson represents the seat of Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and previously worked as a miner. He says he didn't appreciate the value of the royal family until he was elected to parliament.

"It generates millions, if not billions of pounds a year. So, these people who say that the royal family have got too much money … we're very lucky to have them."

The 56-year-old MP says he is looking forward to coronation day.

"Nobody does it better than the British people. A coronation, the pomp and ceremony, everything that goes with it," he said. 

"The spotlight will be on us. It will be fantastic."

Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV

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