UK spends $204 million on Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is carried out of Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022.

Reuters cited a report from the British Treasury on May 18 saying that the country's government agencies spent a total of about $204 million on the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and related events.

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Britain then entered 10 days of national mourning, ending with the queen's state funeral on September 19.

The Queen's coffin lay in state at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh for 24 hours. It was then flown back to London and taken in procession to the Palace of Westminster. An estimated 250,000 people queued for hours to pay their respects in London.

Queen Elizabeth II's successor, King Charles III, also embarked on a four-country tour of the UK with then Prime Minister Liz Truss.

"The government's priority is to ensure that these events proceed smoothly and with appropriate levels of dignity, while always ensuring the safety and security of the public," UK finance minister John Glen said in a written statement to parliament.

The Home Office, responsible for national security and policing, was the biggest spender of the total amount spent on Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, at $91.5 million.

The London Metropolitan Police said the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was the largest security event in the agency's history. About 500 guests representing nearly 200 countries and territories, including nearly 100 presidents and heads of government and more than 20 royal families attended the funeral.

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