How Much Did Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral Cost? Breaking Down the Expensive Ceremony
usmagazine.comAn expensive tribute. Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral was an event unlike anything the United Kingdom has ever seen — and the cost reflected that fact.The British government hasn’t confirmed the exact cost of the event, but a former royal security officer told the New York Post that he believes the security alone will cost more than $7.5 million. “This is the biggest policing operation that United Kingdom policing has ever undertaken,” Simon Morgan told the outlet on Thursday, September 15, noting that the total cost is likely greater than the price of security for the 2012 Olympics held in London.Security for Prince William‘s 2011 wedding to Princess Kate cost an estimated $7 million, according to The Washington Post.
As the newspaper noted, however, the queen’s Monday, September 19, funeral was attended by a larger number of world leaders, meaning that security costs were likely much higher.In addition to British Prime Minister Liz Truss, guests at the funeral included President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and Belgium’s Queen Mathilde and King Philippe.Elizabeth’s funeral is the first state funeral to take place in the U.K.
since Winston Churchill’s ceremony in 1965. The queen’s father, King George VI, was also honored with a state funeral in 1952.Princess Diana and the Queen Mother received ceremonial funerals in 1997 and 2002, respectively, but Monday’s event likely cost far more than either of those.
According to a House of Commons report, the Queen Mother’s funeral was estimated to have cost $954,000 for the period she was lying in state, while the security cost $5 million.King
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