The total price for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and time spent lying in state has been made public.
According to the Treasury, it reportedly cost the government £161.7 million.
When Her Majesty was laid-in-state in Westminster Hall last year, more than 250,000 people stood in queue for five days to pay their respects.
When mourners lined up to meet the former king who passed away on September 8, “the queue” was at times longer than 24 hours.
The number was fewer than the total to see her father King George VI lie in state over five days, which is thought to have been 305,806.
The biggest costs were covered by the Home Office (£74m) and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (£57m).
John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury, said the government’s priority at the time had been to make sure ‘these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public’.
In a written ministerial statement made to Parliament, Mr Glen said the Treasury had provided additional funding where necessary and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments were ‘fully’ refunded for their respective costs.
Queen’s funeral – estimated costs
• Department for Culture, Media & Sport – £57.42m
• Department for Transport – £2.565m
• Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – £2.096m
• Home Office – £73.68m
• Ministry of Defence – £2.890m
• Northern Ireland Office – £2.134m
• Scottish Government – £18.756m
• Welsh Government – £2.202m
• Total – £161.743m
However, it did not include the number to pay their respects in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh, where the Queen also lay in state after dying at Balmoral estate in Scotland.
The queue in London was constantly busy since the lying in state began, with the government repeatedly warning people to stay away to avoid disappointment towards the end.
After Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022 aged 96, the UK started 10 days of national mourning.
The late Queen’s coffin was laid to rest in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh for 24 hours, before the monarch was transported to Westminster Abbey in London where thousands of mourners queued for hours to pay their respects.
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