In England we are one of the last countries in the world to hold coronations. On Saturday 6 May the coronation of KIng Charles III took place in Westminster Abbey and opinions are divided about the benefits of such an expensive event.
I am from Austria but have lived in England most of my life. I always find the royals interesting because they have been part of the English history for such a long time. It was impressive all the effort they put into the event, and to see everyone enjoying it. It was good to observe, for the first time in my life, a monarch getting crowned.
What do the public think of the Coronation Celebrations?
“I remember back in 1953 watching the Queen Coronation on a very small black and white TV screen black. I find It interesting because it is all part of history.” Thomas, Calcot (89).
“It went off alright, but I found it bit boring. I’m not really into the monarchy.” Ronald, Calcot.
“I sat down and watched the whole thing. I enjoyed the pageantry, and no one does it better than the Brits. Grateful for the young men from the commonwealth who fought to defend Malta in WW2, very happy to see all the different flags together at the Coronation”. Evelyn, Newbury, (originally from Malta).
“It was absolutely amazing especially was impressed by the synchronised parade and I was also impressed by diversity”. Beverly, Newbury, (originally from Guyana).
“I was impressed by the historic buildings in London like Westminster Abbey and the amount of planning that went into the event”. Andrew, Newbury.
“It very different from Turkey, seems bit like fairy tale and it’s good for tourism”. Buket, from Turkey.
“Because of all the security it cost over £100 million. The money could be spent better on foodbanks etc”. Doreen, Newbury.
“When the Queen died it was very reassuring that Charles took over instantly as King especially when we had so many different PMs. The monarchy in the UK keeps us interesting”. Laura, Reading.
“I really enjoyed the service. The monarchy always been part of our history and identity. I know that not everyone feels the same way, but my heart was fluttering when my partner and I took the oath of the allegiance”. Ginette, Newbury.
“We loved hosting the Coronation Tea in partnership with Newbury Library. We were grateful that the Mayor of Newbury and the West Berkshire Council chairman were able to join us. The event brought all our diverse communities together and it was a lovely chance to celebrate a memorable occasion and eat lots of scones! And we think that all the events around the area were brilliant too.” Clare Middleton, Educafe.
We also talked to Fiona Hobson from Hungerford who travelled up to London on the Friday afternoon with an American friend she had met in the queue at the Queen’s Lying in State.
As a final thought, here is an interesting paragraph from Brian Quinn’s article about the cost and policing of the Coronation:
The gap between this coronation and the next will be less than the 70 years since 1953, these events don’t happen that often. Presidential inaugurations in the USA take place every four years. The Washington Post estimated that the 2017 US inauguration cost $175m to $2000m – the majority of which was funded by the taxpayer – so putting it in the same ball park as last weekend’s festivities. I doubt US inaugurations do much for the country’s domestic or international tourism figures.
