Agency Report
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral and related events following her death last September cost UK taxpayers nearly £162 million ($201 million), the government revealed on Thursday in its first public estimate.
The elaborate state funeral for Britain’s longest-serving monarch, which was held in early May, entailed a vast security operation for hundreds of foreign heads of state and royals.
In a written statement to parliament, finance minister, John Glen, said the total estimated cost ran into £161.7 million, with the interior ministry, responsible for policing, accounting for the biggest proportion (£73.7 million).
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport spent £57.4 million, while the Scottish government billed £18.8 million.
“The death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, and the period of national mourning that followed was a moment of huge national significance,” Glen said.
The disclosure comes shortly after the coronation earlier this month of Elizabeth’s son, King Charles III, with its likely bill raising eyebrows – and complaints – as many Britons struggle with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
Buckingham Palace has rejected reports that the total for that vast security operation would top £100 million.
AFP