The Coronation took place this weekend with a live viewing being broadcast in Leeds millennium square. The exact cost of the coronation is yet to be revealed; however, it is speculated to have cost the UK taxpayers between £50 to £100 million.
At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the UK and a number of strikes by doctors, teachers and other public servants over pay and working conditions, the King’s coronation has been branded a “waste of taxpayers’ money” by critics.
One person in Leeds said:
“There’s a lot of people in the country right now that cannot feed themselves right now or afford to go to work and I think they should take priority.”
She added:
“If we are trying to benefit people from an economic standpoint, it should be the people that need it most such as local businesses.”
Though the celebrations were expected to bring more business to local establishments such as bars and pubs, Manager of Leeds Hyde Park Pub, Reece Baxter, stated they did not see an increase in sales over the coronation and bank holiday weekend.
“On a weekend we pull in about £10,000 but I can’t say the coronation attracted many more customers or boost profit. I will say though there was an increase in older customers.”
In a YouGov survey conducted to see how much the public cared about the coronation, it was found that there is a generational divide in interest, with 32% of 65 and overs caring “a fair amount” and 35% of 18 to 24-year-olds “not [caring] at all.”
This was reflected in Leeds over the weekend, with a sparse turnout at the viewing of the coronation, and the usual hustle and bustle in pubs around the city was noticeably missing.
