Oxford City Council will spend £700 of taxpayers’ money on a sparkling wine Coronation Weekend drinks reception, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The £700 drinks reception will be held on King Charles III’s Coronation Weekend, which takes place between Saturday, May 6, and bank holiday Monday on May 8.

All 48 Oxford City Councillors have been invited, and 1,200 invitations have been sent out in total.

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Members of the public representing community groups have received invitations, and the council confirmed they put forward ten names from community groups which were not already on the list.

The drinks reception is part of a joint project which has been put together by Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Christ Church.

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The £700 is being funded by the council's civic budget.

A church service to mark the King’s coronation will first take place in the cathedral at Christ Church College and once this finishes guests will be invited to sip sparkling wine and water.

The coronation of the King and Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, and this will be followed by a concert at Windsor Castle and the Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday, May 7.

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Despite the high cost of the drinks reception, no food will be provided for guests attending.

In addition to this cost, the council will also be spending £700 on street entertainment for the public on Saturday, May 6, which brings the council’s total spending on the Coronation Weekend up to £1,400.

Tickets for the drinks reception will be made available to the public and will be free of charge, if people already invited choose not to attend.

Recently, it was revealed that 87 councils across the country are choosing not to spend any money on events for King Charles III’s Coronation weekend.

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Councils not spending any money on the coronation include Cotswold District Council and the Labour leader Kier Starmer’s local authority Camden Council.

Councils in Bolton, Leeds, Southend, Leicester, Brighton and Middlesbrough have also decided to not set aside any money for the weekend.

In order to encourage more households to organise street parties, Oxford City Council decided to waive the road closure charge, which is normally £16.

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However, the deadline for applying to hold a street party has now passed and charges have remained in place for large events and those selling alcohol over the weekend.

Speaking about the upcoming weekend, the Lord Mayor of Oxford James Fry said: “The coronation of a new monarch will, for many of us, be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and there’s no better way of celebrating the occasion than sharing food and drink with friends and neighbours.”

An Oxford City Council spokesman said:"The event at Christ Church Cathedral is Oxford’s main celebration to mark the Coronation of King Charles III.

"More than 1,200 people have been invited to the church service and reception, including community organisations and members of the public.

"It is being organised by the Lord Lieutenant’s office, and Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Christ Church College have contributed funds to the once-in-a-generation event."