The coronation of King Charles III certainly seems to have split opinion in the UK. While some viewed it as a great show of British patriotism, others felt it was an unnecessary piece of pageantry that does not reflect well on a country in the modern age.
Those from outside the country will certainly have been a bit confused with the scenes that unfolded in London last weekend. The adoration that many hold for the royal family is difficult to comprehend for those who come from a republic, especially when you consider that the family in question do little to nothing to improve the lives of those who they rule over.
As has become increasingly common in the UK, sport was expected to pay their own homage to the new king over the course of the weekend. That included the playing of the British national anthem at Premier League fixtures, something that did not go down well at Anfield.
As it turns out, some of those involved in other sports were also a bit put off by what they saw.
Freddie Burns slams King Charles III coronation
Freddie Burns earned five caps for England at test level, the last of which came in 2014. He would leave Leicester Tigers earlier this year to join New Zealand club Highlanders, meaning he witnessed last weekend's from afar.
As it turns out, he wasn't all that pleased by what he saw.
Speaking to Stuff.nz, Burns said that the lavish nature of the coronation should be questioned considering the way many people in the UK are currently struggling.
I could give a f*** about it, to be fair.
I’m a proud Englishman, but in terms of getting too caught up in all that stuff, I don’t really buy into it too much.
The pageantry looks good, but when you’ve got people at home and there’s a cost of living crisis … I’m not political, and I’m not trying to make a statement, but I just think there’s other things that money can be spent on rather than putting a crown on some old bloke’s head.
Fair to say that he isn't exactly a royalist so.
He absolutely correct in what he said, with the money spent on this even a slap in the face to many people in the UK who can hardly afford to put food on the table. Still, you'd imagine his comments won't be well received in some quarters.
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