London: The eyes of the world will be on the UK this weekend as King Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey in a quintessentially British display of pomp and pageantry.
The coronation, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday, will kickstart three days of celebrations across London and the wider UK, culminating in a public holiday on 8th of May.
The service, the first of its kind in 70 years, is largely ceremonial, following the 74-year-old king’s official accession to the throne on 8th of September last year, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
But while millions are expected to observe the historic occasion, it falls against a challenging economic backdrop for the UK, with many questioning the validity of the event as the country faces its worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Buckingham Palace does not provide an official figure for the cost of the coronation, but estimates put it at between 50 million and 100 million pounds.