Opinion | Charles’s coronation is a global spectacle. Brits might not care less.

What if Britain held a coronation and nobody cared? We’re about to find out whether the British taxpayers who foot the bill for the horse-drawn spectacle soon to unfold around central London give a fig about the ceremony amid a stalled economy, high inflation, waves of public worker strikes, and soaring food and energy costs.

The numbers say no. YouGov polling this month found that a majority of Brits care “not very much” (35 percent) or “not at all” (29 percent) about the ceremony, while only one-third of respondents care a “great deal” (9 percent) or even a “fair amount” (24 percent). Sentiments are even grimmer when sorted by age: Some 75 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds are in the camps of caring not very much if at all. A separate YouGov online poll found that 51 percent of adults say the coronation should not be government-funded.

Technically, Charles has been king since the moment his mother died last September — the basis for the ancient cry, The king is dead! Long live the king! — so the coronation is less about changing his role than conferring added legitimacy. Public indifference is a conundrum not just for the royals, who have been working to update an ancient, hours-long ceremony to conform with 21st-century sensibilities and attention spans. It’s also an issue for media outlets such as the BBC, which is supported by license fees paid by viewers.

For the palace, one goal has been to broaden the once-heavily-Christian proceedings to appeal to people of different faiths. Clerics from other religions will form a “faith procession,” with Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish leaders presenting the king with pieces of regalia, the Times of London reports. Much has been made of how Charles, whose titles now include Defender of the Faith, has discussed supporting a diversity of faiths, as well as “secular ideals.” Yet even if less overtly Protestant, the coronation is not a civil proceeding. Ultimately it’s a religious service — including anointment with holy oil consecrated in Jerusalem — conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Other big events promoted around the coronation — a concert at Windsor Castle and a community-service push on the public holiday at the end of the long weekend — also seek to attract broader and more, well, ecumenical interest.

As for the cost, the monarchy pulls double duty as part of Britain’s governance structure and, famously, a tourist magnet. Already, visitors and dollars are flooding in. Hotel bookings by American travelers are up for this time of year; in 2019, the last pre-covid year, American tourists alone spent some $5.2 billion in Britain, according to Bloomberg News, and American spending so far this year is up 40 percent. That could buy the king some grace with his subjects, whatever those paying for the spectacle may think of the cost.

Sussex letter spat: A spokesperson for Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, piped up this weekend criticizing “false and frankly ridiculous” claims that Meghan’s absence from the looming coronation is related to years-old conversations about racial bias in the royal family.

Lawyers for the couple and the palace also admonished a British journalist who had speculated that the Sussexes had leaked this latest turn in the saga.

Quick context: Britain’s Telegraph newspaper reported last week that Meghan had sent a letter about unconscious bias among the royals to her father-in-law in the wake of the couple’s 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. The Telegraph reported that Harry’s father, Charles, wrote to the couple after the broadcast and “is said to be disappointed that the Duke and Duchess felt the need to make such high-profile and damaging allegations.” The paper also cited an anonymous source saying Meghan feels “she has not received a satisfactory response to her concerns.”

So what to make of this flare-up? On book tour this year, Harry denied that he or Meghan accused his family of racism and said they referred to unconscious bias. The couple also have said they don’t do anonymous media briefings. Bottom line: The royal rift continues, and in the days before the coronation, every Harry and Meghan story — no matter how old or rehashed — is likely to be re-upped, even if the Sussexes’ willingness to involve lawyers eventually chills some tabloid speculation.

Hi, five! Prince Louis, youngest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales — and internet-beloved scene-stealer at last year’s Platinum Jubilee — has turned 5. Usually birthday photos of the Waleses’ children have been snaps by their mum, but the pictures released last weekend were taken by Millie Pilkington, private photographer of the couple’s 2011 wedding.

Insta chuckle: Thanks to Christine, a reader from D.C., for sharing this reel from Australian comedian Zach Mander.

Coverage from around The Post

What time is the coronation? Who’s been invited? Will Camilla be crowned? London bureau chief William Booth has compiled answers to FAQs. We’ll give you one: The big moment is at noon in Britain — that’s 7 a.m. in Washington on Saturday — but guests including dignitaries and foreign royals will arrive well before. “For the British in 2023,” Booth writes, the coronation “is a mash-up of monarchy, state and church. It is televised spectacle meets power-projecting ritual with a generous dose of religion.” Sure, the royals are “promising a shorter, scaled-down event, but they are still going to bring the pomp, big time. Cue the golden carriage!”

Prince William was paid “a very large sum of money in 2020” by Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group to settle phone-hacking claims, according to documents that Prince Harry, William’s younger brother, submitted to London’s High Court on Tuesday. Harry is suing Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) for unlawful acts — including hacking his voice mails — that he alleges were committed on behalf of British tabloids the Sun and the now-defunct News of the World from 1994 until 2016, writes London-based correspondent Karla Adam. A hearing this week is to determine whether the case should go to trial. Harry claimed that the payment to his brother was part of a secret deal between NGN and Buckingham Palace not to bring any further legal action against the Murdoch papers until other outstanding phone-hacking litigation was settled. NGN denies there was a secret deal; palace officials declined to comment.

From cute to tacky to downright awkward, coronation souvenirs are starting to sell out, writes London reporter Jennifer Hassan. Nothing yet rivals the popularity of the Queen’s Jubilee Barbie — which sold out in seconds last summer — but tchotchke options are vast and varied. On the higher end, there are commemorative editions of English fine bone china tankards, crystal glasses and champagne. And at lower price points? Myriad biscuit tins, tea towels, socks, stuffed bears, flags, bags, puzzles, holiday ornaments, pillows and more. Much more. The Center for Retail Research estimates that the coronation will boost consumer spending by 1.4 million pounds ($1.7 million), Hassan writes, with both Brits and an influx of tourists buying souvenirs and stocking up for street parties.

Monday night’s NBA playoff game got Harry and Meghan’s seal of approval. Kiss cam? Not so much.

P.S. Send us your questions! All things royal is the topic of Post Opinions columnist Eugene Robinson’s next Q&A with readers, and we’re co-hosting! Submit yours in advance below, and bookmark this page for May 2 at noon ET.

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