How much did the Queen’s funeral cost? Full breakdown as Treasury puts government spend at £162m

Tens of millions of pounds were spent by UK government departments and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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The Queen’s funeral and mourning period cost the UK an estimated £162 million, the Treasury has said today (18 May).

But the true cost is likely even higher, NationalWorld can reveal, having spent months investigating the cost of the event on the public purse.

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Last month we exclusively revealed how the Home Office had spent £75 million on police and fire operations during the funeral and 10-day mourning period between Queen Elizabeth’s death on 8 September and funeral on 19 September last year – a figure now revised down slightly to £74 million by the Treasury. 

Police forces across the UK stepped up to support the Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police and Police Scotland with their response – you can find out the resulting costs incurred by local police forces, ambulance services and fire and rescue brigades in our article

On Thursday (18 May) John Glen, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, described the death of the late Queen as “a moment of huge national significance” in a written ministerial statement to Parliament, in which he revealed the estimated costs to the main government departments and devolved administrations came to £161.7 million. 

“The government’s priorities were that these events ran smoothly and with the appropriate level of dignity, while at all times ensuring the safety and security of the public,” he said.

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The Home Office’s £74 million was the most significant spend, followed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which said it incurred costs of £57 million.

The full breakdown was:

  • Home Office - £73.7 million
  • Department for Culture, Media & Sport – £57.4 million
  • Scottish Government - £18.8 million
  • Ministry of Defence - £2.9 million
  • Department for Transport - £2.6 million
  • Welsh government – £2.2 million
  • Northern Ireland Office – £2.1 million
  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – £2.1 million

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