The Coronation may have cultural value, but it is a slap in the face for all those struggling to get by in Britain

On one hand, the prospect of an extra bank holiday brings an inescapable sense of pleasure, bringing the 4-day week count in May to three. For once, we’re 60% of the way towards a week structure that better incorporates wellbeing into the drive of economic productivity. 

Yet on the other, I cannot escape the nagging question that accompanies the outwardly normal date of Saturday 6th May 2023. People from a myriad of cultures will descend on London, with many more watching on from afar, to celebrate King Charles III’s coronation. In the most polite, British way possible, sorry, why is this happening? 

Cultural heritage goes a long way for lots of people, partly due to its inescapable connection to our identities. Owing to my own multicultural background, I would be one of the first to recognise the day-to-day impact that identity has on our perceptions of the world.

Boiled down to its very essence, the British monarchy is a cultural tool that has shaped the identity of possibly the whole world, or if not, at least the majority of the Commonwealth that it has more recently ruled. On a national level, they have dictated British history for circa a millennia, sparking various conquests, innovations and absurdities (think Henry VIII’s inability to keep it in his pants) that have ultimately shaped the country to this day. Yet they are also tied to the advent of slavery and more recently, the British Empire that has left prejudices, inequalities and stereotypes in place, that we are still forced to battle now. 

The imprint of Empire on my own identity is likely what makes me feel so strongly about the monarchy; others’ identities may result in different view. But isn’t that the beauty of individuality? Humanity’s uniqueness is one facet that sets us apart in evolutionary terms, and like it or not - I certainly don’t - in Britain, the monarchy has been central to the development of these identities. 

Maybe then, this coronation serves as a symbol of the monarchy ability’s at developing British values (whatever they are, anyway). And I can cope with that, even as a staunch republican.

Yet, and there is a huge yet. How do we justify this exorbitant fanfare, in a society that willingly forgoes the people in most dire need? 

The sums that are to be spent on Charles’ coronation are absurd. Predictions place the cost of the fanfare at between 50-100m, which is bizarrely footed by the taxpayer. You know, because the Crown Estate isn't worth something like £15.6bn, is it? Maybe they could afford today, if the Queen didn’t pay Prince Andrew’s accuser/victim £12m in hush money, despite the fact that he’s totally “innocent” (*wink wink*).

Why are we the ones paying for this? Yes there may be economic gain to it, but do they not have the wealth to pay themselves? Money generated also will only end up in the hands of businesses who have had ornaments such as bunting and Union Jack bowler hats out (I genuinely scoff at the latter each time I imagine someone wearing one, btw) - which of course, doesn’t benefit the majority of us. With the current government’s track record, even if the money made was to be put towards public resource, it’s more likely to end up on Mars than not be spaffed away to their rich friends.

One thing is especially striking this weekend - the reticence to allow any republican debate around the monarchy. Even this morning, the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic has been arrested, without any reasonable grounds. In my everyday interactions, so many people simply decry republicanism without reason. It has been painted as the enemy, despite being a legitimate stance to take in a country so unequal, and with a monarchical institution so tied to colonialism. People might wonder why they protest today. Because it’s only when you disrupt that you get noticed (see XR). No-one’s listening in conversational debates and when MPs or policymakers are lobbied - so there is no choice but to peacefully protest. 

The appetite is to show today as one of unity, one of a nation coming together for its king. How bizarre, when we are really never “together” when it comes to developing standards of living, or when we want to protest against racism or sexism that are ingrained in our policing institutions. 

That unity can never be there for me, while the monarchy exists. What once served as cultural heritage is now akin to a grotesque display of inequality, and  It must sting for people who our institutions constantly tell that there is not enough money in the pot to pay for their basic needs. 

If we are so insistent on celebrating this ordinary family, and it seems people are, why don’t we celebrate the monarchy with a permanent 4-day week in their honour, rather than bringing out fancy jewels and costumes that reinforce the notion of inequality belying their existence? Something like that would celebrate its longevity, and in fact allow us to express our identities that they have helped to cultivate.