UK government spent a whopping $200 mn on Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

The departments of the United Kingdom government spent an estimated amount of 161.7 million pounds ($201 million) on the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth and related events, said the Treasury on Thursday.

The country marked 10 days of national mourning after the longest-reigning monarch of Britain died aged 96 on September 8. After the mourning period, Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral was held on September 19.

During the period, Elizabeth’s coffin was kept in Edinburgh Cathedral before it was shifted to London where around 250,000 citizens had queued for hours to see her coffin kept at Westminster Hall.

Queen Elizabeth’s successor King Charles also went on a tour of four nations of Britain 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,” stated John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in a written statement to parliament.

Home Office splurged$91.65 million

“The death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth on 8 September 2022 and the period of national mourning that followed was a moment of huge national significance,” Glen added.

The Home Office, which carries the responsibility for national security and policing, accounted for the biggest portion of the total costs, amounting to 73.7 million pounds ($91.65 million).

The disclosure comes around the time when the coronation of Elizabeth’s son King Charles was held with much pomp and show, raising many eyebrows over the high amount of money spent on the ceremony at a time when Britishers struggle with the worst cost-of-living crisis.

The reports suggesting that the vast security operation has cost more than £100 million (US$124 million) have been rejected the Buckingham Palace.

The ceremonial events to mark the death of the late queen and the immediate accession of Charles to the throne last September engaged more than 5,000 police officers from across the UK.

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Metropolitan Police's largest operation

The authorities had redeployed many officers to support the events which were taking place in Scotland and London, where the Queen died at her Balmoral estate, a year after her health started declining.

Police force was also deployed in Windsor and Norfolk where the Sandringham estate of the royals is situated. The funeral day was the then-largest policing operation ever staged by London’s Metropolitan Police, surpassing the 2012 Olympic Games' opening and closing ceremonies.

This was topped by the police operation carried around King Charles' coronation on May 6 in which the Metropolitan Police lead an operation which involved 11,500 officers, staff and volunteers on duty.

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