The final cost for Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral in September 2022 and the national period of mourning that followed is in. The events cost the U.K. government an estimated £162 million (over $201.7 million), the Treasury said on Friday. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8 at 96, with her funeral held on Sept. 19. Her son, King Charles III, became monarch at the moment of her death, and had his coronation earlier this month. The Quee’s lying-in-state at Westminster Hall took place from Sept. 14 to 19, with thousands of people visiting the castle to see her.
The Home Office spent the most on the funeral, at £74 million, with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport following with £57 million. The costs covered the funeral, the monarch’s lying-in-state, and other events during the 10 days of national mourning that followed the Queen’s death. Treasury Secretary John Glen noted that the government’s top priority at the time was to ensure events “ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public,” reports BBC News.
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In his letter to Parliament, Glen noted that the Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish governments were “fully” refunded for any costs they incurred. This included £18.756 million to the Scottish government. The Northern Ireland Office spent £2.134 million, while the Welsh government spent £2.202 million. The Department of Transport spent £2.565 million and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spent £2.096 million. The Ministry of Defense spent £2.890 million.
Queen Elizabeth’s funeral was the first state funeral in the U.K. since Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral in 1965. Dignitaries from around the world attended the funeral, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The U.K. government defended the cost, noting it was necessary to make sure everyone was safe during the large gatherings. “Of course, a major international event of this scale, we wanted to ensure that we could enable people to pay their respects,” a spokesperson told the BBC.
Although King Charles III became monarch the moment his mother died, his coronation was not held until May 6, the first coronation since his mother’s in 1953. Before the weekend-long event, it was estimated that the U.K. government would spend £50 million to £100 million, or between $62.3 million and $124.5 million, sources told BBC News. It was widely criticized by residents, considering the cost-of-living crisis and tough economic times many face. A YouGov poll before the coronation showed 52% of Londoners did not think taxpayers should have paid the bill.
