Long Live The King!

Coronation at the Cost of Living

The King’s coronation is set to cost many millions –and it falls to taxpayers to foot the bill But with no budget revealed for the historic national state occasion, and the government not commenting on the expected total cost, the amount of public funds due to be spent remains unknown Some predictions suggest Operation Golden Orb – the crowning of Charles III and the Queen Consort – could cost the nation between £50-100m

The late Elizabeth II’s coronation cost £912,000 in 1953

£20 5m in today’s money while Charles’s grandfather George VI was crowned at a cost of £454,000 in 1937 – worth £24 8m in 2023 and the most expensive coronation of the last 300 years

Community members share their experiences of attending the coronation

16-year-old Iona Mandal was fortunate to witness the presence of King Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Royal family on Saturday outside Westminster Abbey, as they left for Buckingham Palace after the coronation

She was invited to the coronation by the Royal Household in recommendation of the National Literacy Trust where she is a young volunteer The Trust also nominated her for Coronation Champions

Awards

Iona Mandal was seated at St Margaret’s Church, an adjacent church to the main Westminster Abbey, along with other 399 youngsters of 13-18 years of age, representing other charities that the Royal Household support

Speaking to Asian Voice

Iona said that she admired that King Charles brought in the diversity factor to his coronation - It was different from the last coronation in 1953, as it was a shorter affair and represented a different British society Today’s Britain is much more diverse and that multi-faith and various communities were included and represented at the Coronation, made it worth admiring

She mentioned that it would have been nicer and more revolutionising if King Charles acknowledged Britain’s past and dark history of colonisation I am not saying an apology but some form of recognition of Britain’s past doings “It might have been nice if King Charles had somehow addressed Britain's colonial history in his coronation In some aspects, it was nice that he brought all the changes to make it more inclusive But I think, if Britain addressed their past, that might have been more revolutionary At the same time, I obviously did have a great time at the event, but I just wanted to mention that many others and I haven't forgotten about it,” Iona told us

Iona wore formal lilac trousers with a top and blazer to the Coronation, that she carefully chose for the occasion They arrived from Birmingham the night before, 5 May Her day started with breakfast at the Lambeth Palace Her father Partha and her then walked to St Margaret’s Church, adjacent to Westminster Abbey, where they were seated Before the coronation was screened for back to the Lambeth Palace for lunch, where they were joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury - It was a surreal moment for me We had just seen him crowning the King And here he was, so humble, and politely speaking to us and had a brief conversation “As I walked down the aisle to find a place to sit, diversity was instantly discernible; people from across the UK and beyond, of different faiths and nationalities wearing their best dresses, hats, suits, and national costumes As I sat down, I was so excited to see the globally renowned people (heads of State, Commonwealth officials, senior politicians, dignitaries) parade down the aisle in drips and drabs; it was such an exciting moment ” works for a consultancy firm, providing price estimates for construction projects Jay Patel from Prince’s Trust Canada is a resilient them on a gigantic screen, there were performances and speeches that were age appropriate and relevant for youngsters and they could ask any question or clear doubts about the coronation After the coronation they walked

Harilal Narandas Patel of Cardiff who was invited to the Coronation, told the newsweekly, “It was a magical moment Absolutely fantastic! Being physically present at Westminster Abbey witnessing the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla was indeed a great and unique experience and a great honour- once in a lifetime opportunity It’s difficult to express how it feels to be present on such a historical and momentous occasion When I arrived here in the UK from Uganda over 50 years ago, as a refugee, I never even in my wildest dreams thought I would one day have this one great memory for witnessing a coronation ” “It was nice to see Lord Patel from the Hindu Faith being part of the Ceremony There was a great sense of peace and harmony in the Westminster Abbey Being present at this historical event, reminded me of Lord Rama's coronation, popularly known as ‘Rama Pattabhishekam’” Harilal Patel said Prof es s or Me en a Upadhyaya OBE said, “It was such an honour to attend King's coronation at Westminster Abbey on 6th May; the congregation was asked to be there four hours before the ceremony; this allowed me to absorb the finer details of the abbey and soak the buzzing atmosphere of this glorious, unforgettable day “Despite standing in a long queue for a considerable length of time for security checks, it was an enjoyable experience as we chatted with each other; people in front of me were from New Zealand, and those behind me were from Northern Island; I also spotted Emma Thompson

The Prince’s Trust International attendees included Gul fs ha from India, who was awarded The Prince’s Trust Global Award in 2022 in recognition of her exceptional determination and achievements demonstrated through her participation in the Get Into programme in India Delivered by The Prince’s Trust International partner Magic Bus India Foundation, Gulfsha completed the Get Into programme she had heard about at college Learning via an online environment, Gulfsha honed a range of workplace skills and successfully interviewed for her first-ever job She now individual who overcame isolation and low confidence after moving from India to Canada in 2021 By completing The Prince's Trust Canada's Youth Employment programme in May 2022, Jay gained valuable skills and secured a job as a cook at Toronto’s iconic CN Tower – one of the city’s most famous landmarks Now on his way to becoming a Chef, Jay is passionate about inspiring others to find the same kind of support network that helped him achieve success (With inputs from Rupali Shinde)

First Jain to participate in a coronation leads the King’s procession into Westminster Abbey

The coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III was ma gnific ent in its pageantry and its continuation of a ce nturi es- old tradi tion in the historic and stunning Westminster Abbey The Christian service was incorporated by the commonwealth as well as the faiths in modern Britain This included the faith leaders present leading the procession leading the King into the Abbey

For the Jain community, this was a truly historic moment as Dr Mehool H Sanghrajka, Managing Trustee of the Institute of Jainology (IoJ), led the procession of other faith leaders down the nave and into the seating in the transept The IoJ leads OneJAIN, the collection of all UK Jain Organisations, that work collectively in government and inter-faith matters

The inclusion of Jain and other faith leaders into the ceremony is further recognition of the important part that faiths and the commonwealth play in modern Britain Dr Sanghrajka said, “The 65,000-strong Jain community in the UK has been growing since the 1960s, and today’s ceremony is a truly historic moment for us The event itself was magnificent filled with much history and pageantry I will certainly cherish the memory ”

The King has had an interest in the Jain faith for many years, initially opening the ‘Jainpedia exhibition’ at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and then visiting the Jain temple at the Oshwal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire He has also been presented with the coveted IoJ Ahimsa Award for his work on environmental sustainability and promoting interfaith dialogue Dr Sanghrajka added, “The day was also an opportunity to renew old friendships and make new ones with both other religious leaders and statesmen This is a start to a new phase for Jainism in Britain, integrated into the fabric of the state and supporting its own diverse communities ”