British Netizens are divided on whether the lavish royal coronation is good for Britain or a waste of money.
King Charles III will be officially crowned on Saturday along with his wife, who will become Queen Camilla — a move controversial among fans of his late ex-wife Princess Diana.
Around 7,000 soldiers in parade uniform will take part in the event, including many regimental marching bands, who have been holding night-time dress rehearsals on The Mall between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has been tugged up the Thames for the occasion.
Some 100 foreign heads of state will be among the 2,300 guests in Westminster Abbey, opposite the Houses of Parliament, although Russian President Vladimir Putin, Syria's Bashar al-Assad, Iran's Ebrahim Raisi, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Myanmar's Myint Swe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were pointedly not invited.
The crowds of onlookers will be controlled by more than 11,500 police officers.
However, many have criticised the reported £250 million price tag for the occasion when ordinary Britons are struggling with the 'cost-of-living crisis' — brought on by the government's policy of blocking energy, food and fertiliser imports from Russia — while the royal estate is worth £600 million.
Some point out that Charles officially became king on his mother Queen Elizabeth II's death in September 2022, and the coronation ceremony is therefore just for show.
But a Buckingham Palace spokesperson pointed to estimates that the spectacular will inject £1 billion into the British economy.
Supporters of Glasgow Celtic football club, who identify with Irish republicans were not so enthusiastic, a view seconded by a left-wing trade union official. Ironically, leaders Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland will attend the coronation.
But Guyanese-born former Labour Party cabinet minister Baroness Amos said her late parents would have been proud that she will play a central role in the coronation ceremony.
"People really need to stop calling the coronation 'once in a life time'. Charles is 74 and Liz died at 96. They’ll be another one within 20 years", one user posted.
"If there is one saving grace about the coronation, it’s the monarchists seething with rage that the entire population isn’t falling in line to worship their royals," wrote another.