The cost of Harry and Meghan's marriage will be 110 times that of the average couple - 1,785 times including security - according to estimates by wedding planner Bridebook. This extravagance is a window into the lives of the super-rich who have not suffered the decade of austerity we have.

It should be a national outrage that the taxpayer will fork out £300,000 on just one marquee for the night, when rough sleeping has more than doubled since Harry's brother got married in 2011.

They will move into a grace-and-favour 21-bedroom "apartment" in the grounds of Kensington Palace, says House Beautiful. Meanwhile, two-fifths of their fellow Millennials are still stuck in overcrowded and extortionate private rentals by the age of 30 (see 'Young people trapped in private rental').

Just a glance at the anticipated costs of the day exposes the bitter reality of class division in Britain. Almost a year's pay on the UK median salary will go on sausage rolls alone.

And Markle - a privately educated celebrity who is soon to be the Duchess of Sussex - is not subject to the fear and insecurity that face most migrants and refugees starting out in Britain. (See 'Royal wedding exposes them-and-us visa system'.)

But while many working class people will be seething at the inequality behind the headlines, the royal wedding couldn't have come at a better time for the Tories. They hope the round-the-clock coverage will distract the public, at least temporarily, from the catastrophe that is their weak and divided government.

Royal pageantry has long been used by the ruling class to divert attention from its problems - weddings in particular since World War One. But the capitalist establishment is foolish if it thinks a wedding is enough to soothe the effects of a decade of austerity.

In 2011, some might still have been clinging to nostalgic notions that we were "all in it together." But we are now in the middle of the longest pay squeeze in two centuries according to the Trade Union Congress.

We all know the super-rich have continued to get richer while we foot the bill. There should be no place in society for freeloading feudal relics. We say: stuff the wedding - abolish the monarchy - fight the cuts!

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Finance appeal

The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.

The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.

The government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
When the health crisis subsides, we must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.

Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.

We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.