Anti-monarchists protest against King Charles III's coronation

LONDON: Anti-monarchists on Saturday protested in London during the coronation of Britain's King Charles III, despite warnings from authorities and a controversial new law, reported The New York Times (NYT). Emma Bubola, writing in NYT said that anti-monarchists see the coronation as an opportunity to highlight the absurdity of having a royal family in the 21st century.

A 21-year-old student in the northern city of Leeds ordered 50 beach balls bearing the words "No more royals." Republic, a group representing Britain's anti-monarchist movement wearing yellow T-shirts booed and shouted "Not My King" throughout the morning.

Several anti-monarchy protesters were arrested in central London ahead of the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, reported CNN. They were questioning spending money on such an opulent event as the cost of living crisis continues to grip the country.

Stubbornly high inflation, years of wage stagnation and the sudden and steep rise in energy prices have left millions of Brits on the brink of poverty. Yet at the same time, the UK government is getting ready to spend tens of millions of taxpayers' money on a glitzy event celebrating one very, very rich man: King Charles III, reported CNN.

One resident, Laura Billington, a teacher at a school in the city told CNN: "I am a bit of a royalist and I do like the royal family. But I think they haven't really read the room, as it were. A lot of it should have come from their own pocket rather than the taxpayer. And I think it should have been toned down a little bit."

The government has refused to put a figure on the cost of the coronation, with estimates by British media ranging from Pound 50 million to more than Pound 100 million (USD 63 million to USD 125 million), reported CNN.

Across the country, meanwhile, real wages including bonuses fell 3 per cent in the three months to February, according to the Office for National Statistics. That's one of the largest falls since records began in 2001.

They said the coronation would be a key moment to highlight the idea that the only reason Charles will have a dedicated party and public holiday is that he was born into the right family -- especially as many people in Britain are struggling to afford food and electricity, reported NYT.

At around 7 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) police stopped six of Republic's organizers and told them they were detaining and searching them, Republic director Harry Stratton told CNN at the protest.

Britain's King Charles III has been crowned in a once-in-a-generation royal event witnessed by hundreds of high-profile guests inside Westminster Abbey, as well as tens of thousands of well-wishers who gathered in central London despite the rain. While Charles became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II last September, the coronation on Saturday was the formal crowning of the monarch.

After the service, the King and selected members of the royal family made the customary appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony. A flypast of military aircraft was scaled back due to bad weather in London. The Royal Air Force's famous Red Arrows have flown over a rainy Buckingham Palace, ending a brief and slimmed down display.