THE Scottish Government has confirmed it will be picking up costs associated with this week’s “Scottish coronation” – including the £22,000 bill for a specially made sword.
A special ceremony will be held in Edinburgh on Wednesday to mark the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, with the day also seeing processions along the Royal Mile, a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by the Red Arrows.
At the St Giles’ Cathedral, King Charles will be presented with the Honours of Scotland – the oldest crown jewels in Britain. He will also received a specially-made ceremonial sword, named The Elizabeth, after the late Queen, which cost £22,000.
Critics have said it will be another “absurd event” when an “extraordinary” amount of public funds have been spent on royal events during a cost of living crisis.
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The sword was commissioned to replace the current sword gifted to James IV by Pope Julius in 1507, which can no longer be used due to its fragile condition, and features a “pommel of Lewisian gneiss”, and a “scabbard wrought from Perthshire oak”.
The Scottish Government has confirmed it will be meeting the bill for this, along with other costs associated with the coronation events as “one of the organisations involved in planning and management of the events”.
However it also said it was not possible to calculate the bill until after events at concluded, at which point discussions with the UK Government on “financial arrangements” would also take place.
Last year the Scottish Government spent nearly £19 million on events associated with Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, which was later reimbursed by the Treasury.
The annual report on royal finances published last week showed £700,000 was spent from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant on the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the late Queen.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “We are still in the worst cost of living crisis for decades, yet we are about to witness another absurd royal event of pomp and pageantry at the cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“In the past 18 months we have seen an extraordinary amount of public funds spent on royal events; from the Jubilee to the Coronation, tens of millions squandered when so many are struggling to feed their families.
“An independent Scotland can be a real democracy, by abolishing the archaic monarchy and allow the people of Scotland to choose their head of state.”
Meanwhile the total bill for the King’s coronation in London in May has also yet to be revealed, with the UK Government saying public costs will be made available “in due course”. Unofficial estimates have suggested it could be as much as £100m.
The Sunday National asked the Scottish Government which is managing the Scottish coronation events how much they would cost and how they are being funded.
It said costs would be covered by each of the organisations involved in planning and management of events and would not be not possible to calculate the total until after events have concluded, but confirmed it had paid for the Elizabeth Sword.
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A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “We will discuss financial arrangements with the Treasury once the events are concluded.”
The royal accounts published last week – which do not include details of security costs – show the total Sovereign Grant in 2022-23 was £86.3m, made up of £51.8m for the “core” funding and an extra £34.5m for the reservicing of Buckingham Palace.
Charles received £12.8m as salary from the Duchy of Cornwall while he was still the Prince of Wales. As King he receives money from the Duchy of Lancaster, which is passed down from monarch to monarch and generates around £20m a year in profits. Prince William received £5.9m as private income from the Duchy of Cornwall for six months as new heir to the throne.
The report states the King has a “significant function as a symbol of national identity, unity and pride”.
It also said: “The Monarchy provides an important sense of continuity and stability at a time of rapid social, cultural and technological change.
“The regular rhythm of the Monarchy provides reassurance to many people.”
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