The biggest event of a British monarch's reign could become a thing of the past if the public were to look at the practices of other European royal houses, a new episode of Newsweek's The Royal Report podcast has heard.
Denmark's Queen Margrethe II said at the end of last year she would abdicate on January 14, with her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, and daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mary, taking over as the new king and queen. Denmark's monarchs aren't crowned in coronation services, and instead they are proclaimed sovereign in a ceremony witnessed by government ministers.
That form is today followed by nearly all of the other monarchies in Europe, of which there are 12 in total: The United Kingdom; Denmark; Sweden; Norway; the Netherlands; Belgium; Spain; Liechtenstein; Luxembourg; Monaco; Andorra; and the Vatican.
The U.K. is the only monarchy to still hold a large-scale coronation, which is a religious service in which the monarch is crowned and anointed with holy oil, and during which they swear oaths of service to God and country.
Most recently, King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. But, with the vast cost of the events connected with the service, paired with growing secularism in Britain and the examples set by European monarchies that function without coronations, questions may be asked in future about the justification and necessity of the ceremony altogether, Newsweek's chief royal correspondent, Jack Royston, told Royal Report listeners.
"If it's fine for Denmark to have no coronation and the monarchy still survives, then was Britain right to have this really expensive and lavish coronation [for King Charles]?" he said.
"Estimates in the days leading up to the King's coronation in May put the price tag at around £100 million, which is about $126 million and so is that value for money?"
Royston suggested that these questions may become more relevant for the British royals when the time comes for Prince William to accede to the throne, which could be as far as decades down the line.
"I can see this argument from both sides," he said. "So on the one hand, I do think that these big high profile public events are part of what people love about the monarchy. It's not just coronations, it's royal weddings, royal babies even, and jubilees and moments where people in Britain can come together, throw street parties, have friends around and celebrate and just feel straightforwardly proud of their country... and I think that's probably the biggest thing that the the royals give to Britain."
On the other hand, he suggested that the tourism boost for London at the time of Charles' coronation may not have met expectations, and therefore questioned how valid the argument is that the monarchy makes money for Britain through tourism, justifying the expense of such a major event.
Looking forward, following Denmark's example, Royston expressed a belief that should the reign of King William V come sooner than later, the days of lavish coronations could be over.
"I don't think William could have another big extravaganza so soon after the last one," he said. "Because you got bear in mind, it's not just hot on the heels of King Charles' Coronation, it's also hot on the heels of the Platinum Jubilee the year before. And I think it would just feel to British people like we've done this too many times, but that's now—it could be totally different in 20 or 30 years time."
The British coronation follows an order of service adapted over centuries, but it doesn't mark the beginning of a monarch's reign.
One sovereign takes over from their predecessor at the moment of their death, meaning that the throne is never vacant. The new monarch is then proclaimed (recognized) by the privy council in a ceremony in London and the coronation is planned to take place in the following months.
Therefore, it would be possible for a new king or queen to perform the functions and duties as head of state without a coronation. Whether Prince William would consider changing things is as yet unknown.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
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