THE multimillion-pound cost to the taxpayer of the Queen’s funeral has been revealed by the Treasury.
The state funeral and related events cost an estimated £162 million, according to the Exchequer.
The Scottish Government spent nearly £19m – the highest figure of any devolved administration – on associated events, including the Queen’s lying in rest at St Giles’s Cathedral in Edinburgh.
Costs incurred by the Scottish Government – and the other devolved administrations – were “fully” reimbursed, the Treasury said.
The biggest costs were covered by the Home Office which spent £74m and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport which forked out £57m.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf only party leader not to say 'God save the King' in Holyrood debate
John Glen, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said the Government’s priorities in the wake of the Queen’s death were to ensure “these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public”.
The Department for Transport spent £2.5m on the Queen’s funeral and associated events, the Foreign Office £2m and the Ministry of Defence just short of £3m.
Combined, the Welsh and Northern Irish governments spent around £4m.
It dwarves the cost of the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002, which was said to have cost £5.4m and is likely to have been more expensive affair than that of Prince Philip’s which was a pared back ceremony because of Covid restrictions.
The event, held on September 19 last year, came after an official period of “national mourning”.
Thousands of people filed through Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament during that period to see Queen Elizabeth lying in state.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel