The pageantry afforded to the Queen for her funeral has attracted a global audience – but how much did it all cost?
And who pays for the Queen’s state funeral? Is it the royal family, or UK taxpayers?
At present, reports concerning the cost of the Queen’s funeral vary wildly.
And so the true financial price of today’s proceedings may not be revealed or clarified for some time.
Who pays for a state funeral?
As suggested by the name, the state pays – with public money – for a state funeral. That means the financial burden of costs falls chiefly upon UK taxpayers.
However, it may or may not be the case that King Charles or other members of the royal family contribute to some extent.
State funerals in the UK are normally reserved for monarchs. But the most recent state funeral before that of Queen Elizabeth II was for former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965.
The more recent funeral occasions for Prince Philip (2021), the Queen Mother (2002) and Princess Diana (1997) were ceremonial funerals.
And those for the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret (2002) and Queen’s uncle the Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII, 1972) were private funerals.
The ceremonial funerals may bear hallmarks of state funerals but are not actually so.
How much will the Queen’s funeral cost?
Reports have claimed the cost of the Queen’s funeral could vary between several million pounds and several billion pounds.
However, Full Fact suggests the true cost of today’s proceedings could exceed £8 million.
It is believed this figure has partly been derived from the costs of previous large-scale funerals, such as that of the Queen Mother. That ceremony reportedly cost £5.4 million.
However, it is believed the cost of the Queen Mother’s funeral was shared with the Queen.
Princess Diana’s funeral is said to have cost between £3 million and £5 million.
Furthermore, it seems likely the Queen’s funeral, expected to be one of the most viewed broadcasts ever, will be on a different scale.
‘Best evidence for cost estimate’
Full Fact is reported to state: “While we could not find a reliable estimate for the cost of the Queen’s funeral, we’ve looked at the best evidence we can find for large public funerals in the past. They seem to have cost up to about £8 million in current prices.
“The Queen’s funeral is likely to be larger and may therefore be more expensive.
A cost of billions seems far too high.
“But a cost of billions seems far too high, unless we also include the cost of the coronation of King Charles, and the economic impact of bank holidays on both days, which is very uncertain.”
The Government may, of course, confirm the cost of the Queen’s funeral in due course.
Read more: King Charles’ heartbreaking message on card placed on the Queen’s coffin
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