The 10 days of funeral ceremonies for Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September have cost British taxpayers about €185 million, according to figures released this Thursday (18) by the UK Treasury.
Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle, Scotland. From there, his coffin was taken to a first combustion chamber in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, before being shown to the public in London. He spent five days in Westminster Hall, the former British parliament hall, where hundreds of thousands of people passed by.
The state funeral took place at Westminster Abbey on September 19, in the presence of 2,000 guests, including hundreds of foreign authorities and leaders. There was also a private ceremony at Windsor Castle, about 25 miles from London, where the Queen was buried with her parents and husband, Prince Philip.
According to a statement from Chief Treasury Secretary John Glen to Parliament, the total cost was approximately £161.743 million (approximately €185 million).
“The government’s priority has been to ensure that these events run smoothly while ensuring the safety of the public,” he said.
The bulk of the expenditure corresponds to the Home Office, at £73.68m (around €85m): thousands of police officers were mobilized across the UK during the 10 days of national mourning.
Then comes the Ministry of Culture, with €66 million, and the Scottish Self-Government, with €21.5 million.
The figures for the coronation of King Charles III on May 6 have not yet been released. The anti-monarchy group Republic calculated it cost the state coffers at least €115 million at a time when British taxpayers face a serious cost-of-living crisis, with inflation at 10% insisting not to abate.
Source: DN
