Monarchy Plans Egregious Funeral & Coronation Costs Amidst Cost of Living and Energy Crisis

While the United Kingdom grieves the death of Queen Elizabeth II, their collective checkbook will mourn as well. Taxpayers lost not only a queen, but an estimated 12 billion pounds to fund the extravagant funeral, the new King’s coronation, and several organizational changes. The changes include everything from switching currency to replacing the Royal Cypher on all government monuments, buildings, and post boxes. Meanwhile, with energy costs rising and winter approaching, these expenditures occur within the context of the UK already suffering from the energy crisis plaguing Europe.

The UK typically receives four percent of its gas from Russia and relies on Norway for the rest, but the war in Ukraine has pushed other countries to also rely on Norwegian gas. Prices are skyrocketing due to the domino effect of this wartime shortage, and the majority of the country relies on gas for heating. Up from 3.2 million in 2020, 6.7 million Britons will suffer from Fuel Poverty, a term used to describe the inability for many households to afford food after paying their energy bills. While tax revenue goes towards currency changes and ceremonies, people may very well lose their lives due to this crisis.

“The country is facing a humanitarian crisis,” stated Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the National Health Service Confederation.. Taylor claims the rise in gas prices will lead to more households being unable to have both a stable source of food and a stable source of heat for their homes, which, “could lead to outbreaks of illness and sickness around the country and widen health inequalities, worsen children’s life chances and leave an indelible scar on local communities.” The National Health Service provides healthcare free of charge at point of use to citizens of the UK, and shoulders the responsibility of maintaining the health and safety of the population. Taylor’s warning pertains not only to the current crisis but to the future of the country itself, with many desperate for aid while plenty of resources seem to exist for the new head of state.

The head of government, Liz Truss, appears only somewhat better than the monarchy at looking out for the people’s well being. The freshly minted Prime Minister who replaced Boris Johnson put a price cap in place, to limit how much profit gas suppliers can make per household, while also attempting to increase domestic gas supply by lifting the 2019 fracking ban and issuing licenses for North Sea drilling. Even with these proactive measures, the price cap is only priced per unit; therefore, those who rely on gas more than others will still face staggering costs. For the elderly and disabled, who tend to use more fuel to power life-continuing machines and uphold household conditions to retain their health, these measures will not be enough.

Meanwhile, the wealthiest members of British society continue to spend lavishly, using the Sovereign Grant to fund their expensive tastes at the expense of the British taxpayers. This trend is far from new. Back in 2010, Queen Elizabeth II requested Parliament to use a relief fund intended for schools, housing associations, and hospitals to instead heat Buckingham Palace. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, The British Royal family received further criticism for spending tens of thousands of pounds on private jet flights and over a million pounds to refurbish the home of Prince Richard. In the midst of the current crises, the monarchy is failing to prove it does more harm than good to its citizens.

The current impoverished Briton needs only look to the glistening palaces and processions to understand where the money meant to support them in their battle to outlive the winter has been appropriated. The future of the nation appears quite discontent with its current political setup: among those aged 18-24, only 33 percent expressed desire to retain the monarchy in May. Dwindling support for its monarchy could mean disastrous policy effects in the coming years; the UK was once a global hegemon, yet now must compete with countries such as France and Russia to still be considered a top tier power. If the monarchy cannot maintain a facade of serving the people, UK society may fall into chaos while others lunge ahead.

Indeed, the survival of a monarchy depends on various factors, according to Professor Robert Hazzel and Dr. Bob Morris of the UCL Constitution Unit, such as neutrality, size of the family, and frequency of scandals. For example, the monarchies of both Italy and Greece were abolished due to overwhelming scandal, corruption, and mounting claims of inefficiency. In both cases the monarchy became associated with failure of the state, a fate that is increasingly likely to occur in the UK if the Crown does not cater to the needs of its people during these unprecedented challenges.

Besides failing to measure up within the country, the death of Queen Elizabeth will likely contribute to a growing number of countries seeking to abandon the monarchy. In 2021 Barbados severed ties and other Caribbean Nations are expected to follow suit. In Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, Queen Elizabeth II was quite popular, potentially a contributing factor to the endurance of these countries’ ties remaining with the commonwealth. The end of a reign of a popular queen could mean less backlash for anti-monarchist movements now that King Charles III sits on the throne, and could lead to the British Empire fading away for good. While this certainly could impact the trade relations between the UK and these states, it is far more likely the impact will not be an intentional jab towards the United Kingdom and rather a true end to the colonization process. Even still, for a country already struggling to find funds to support both their citizens and their monarchy, the loss of any trade deal in their favor is sure to come with negative consequences for those living in the UK. Voters may soon have to choose between maintaining their lifelines or a vestige of their country’s glamorous past.

The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II comes at a pivotal time in the UK’s history. The economic impact the funeral and coronation will have on UK society while struggling with the energy crisis will almost certainly mean the death of many regular civilians, whose lives matter equally as much despite not holding a royal title. As their coffers drain more and more to fund an increasingly outdated and unpopular system, taxpayers will be forced to confront the hard reality that their monarchy can not provide through the visual display of tradition the same tangible effects of that same money buying them food to survive on. The UK has already lost hegemony, but by clinging to this relic it may become unable to hold onto any prestige it still possesses in world affairs. The crown’s current actions speaks little confidence to its ability to strengthen relations with other states or protect its people from danger, and with winter approaching this incompetence is discouraging at best. Whether the monarchy of the United Kingdom will outlive the new king or not, events such as the current energy crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic raise an important question of where the place for a monarchy exists in the 21st century.

MOST RECENT ARTICLE