Fitting farewell: Palace reveals Queen’s funeral cost Brits $303 million
The Treasury of the United Kingdom has released data outlining how much money government departments spent on Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral.
About 161.7 million pounds ($A303.5 million) was spent on the monarch’s funeral and related events, officials said on Thursday.
After the country’s longest-reigning monarch died aged 96 on September 8, the UK entered 10 days of mourning which concluded with her state funeral on September 19.
During that time Elizabeth’s coffin lay at rest in Edinburgh Cathedral before being moved to London, where an estimated 250,000 people queued for hours to file past her coffin at Westminster Hall during the lying-in-state.
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Her successor, King Charles, also embarked on a tour of the UK along with then-prime minister Liz Truss.
“The government’s priorities were that these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public,” John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said in a written statement to parliament.
The Home Office, which has responsibility for policing and security, accounted for the biggest portion of the total, with costs of 73.7 million pounds.
London’s Metropolitan Police said at the time the funeral was the biggest policing event in its history, with dignitaries from across the globe in attendance.
