REVEALED: Eye-watering cost of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral cost the government around $302 million.

The 96-year-old monarch passed away at her Balmoral estate on 8 September last year and was laid to rest in a state funeral at Westminster Abbey 11 days later, and now the Treasury has revealed the costs surrounding the mourning rituals including the six-day period of lying in state.

The largest cost was reported by the Home Office at $137 million, followed by a $107 million expenditure by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport.

The Scottish government’s cost was estimated to be $35 million, which will have included events including the lying-in-rest in Edinburgh.

John Glen, chief secretary to the Treasury, said in a written statement to the House of Commons: “The death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 Sep 2022 and the period of national mourning that followed was a moment of huge national significance.

“During this period, many hundreds of thousands of people came in person to pay their respects, at the Lying at Rest in Edinburgh, the lying in state in Westminster, as well as in London and Windsor for the State Funeral on Sep 19.

“Many more people also came out to support His Majesty The King and other members of the Royal Family as they travelled around the UK during this time.

“As departments finalise their accounts ahead of publication in the coming months, the Government is now able to publish an estimate of the costs associated with delivery of these events by the main government departments and devolved administrations involved.”

Additional costs included $5 million by the Ministry of Defence, $4.8 million for the Department for Transport, $4 million by the Welsh government, and a further $3.9 million by both the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Northern Ireland Office.

The Treasury noted the costs included “fully refunding” the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Office,“ which in turn they were able to repay to partners who also incurred costs”.

In comparison, the last state funeral to take place before the Queen’s was that of Winston Churchill in 1965, which cost around $4.6 million at the time, the equivalent of $73 million today.

Costs of Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021 have not been revealed but were likely to be significantly lower because it took place amid COVID lockdown restrictions and within Windsor Castle.

Princess Diana’s 1997 funeral cost $5-$7 million, or $7.5-$16 million today.