Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday was truly unlike any we’ve ever seen — and it’s already making UK history.
The funeral was the first state funeral the country has seen in over 50 years — since Winston Churchill’s in January 1965. It’s been an even longer time since a monarch was honored with a state funeral — the last of which was the Queen’s father, King George VI, in 1952. Wow!
This is now officially the largest policing event the city has ever undertaken — beating out the 2012 London Olympics and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, according to London’s Metropolitan Police. In total, more than 10,000 officers took part in the event to protect both the community members hitting the streets to pay tribute to the late monarch and also the many high-profile figures in attendance, per Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy via DailyMail.com on Monday. As sad as it is, many officers were also placed around the city to protect against any potential threats. And as we’ve ben reporting, multiple arrests have been made already…
The British government has yet to release an official cost of the state funeral, instead sharing details will be announced “in due course,” per E! News on Monday. But early reports are estimating the sad affair could cost several million dollars! On Thursday, a former royal security officer told the New York Post the cost of security alone — not including any other ceremonial events leading up to the televised funeral — likely cost a minimum of $7.5 MILLION! Simon Morgan, who spent years protecting the British royal family, revealed:
“When you look at the other events, they were big — the Prince and of Wales’ wedding in 2011 was the biggest — but in comparison to this, you can’t compare it.”
Per official figures, their wedding cost more than $6 million, with about half spent on security. Meanwhile, the 2002 funeral for Her Majesty’s mother, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, was estimated to cost around $950,000 for the lying-in-state period and another $5 million for security in total. Seeing how many more people turned up this time to pay their respects, we’d expect the final price to be way higher for the Queen’s funeral!
So… how are they paying for this??
Per The Express, a significant amount of money has reportedly been set aside over recent years by both the royals and government for this very moment. The royal family is estimated to be worth $28 billion, with most of their money coming from the Sovereign Grant and their private Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster. While they might have spent a fortune, they can certainly afford it! The Queen is worth it, too!
The question is how much of the money the government provided is from taxpayers. Hmm…
Following the state funeral, the Queen will be taken to St. George Chapel at Windsor Castle, where she is set to be buried next to her husband, her father, her mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret, after a private burial service. Truly the end of an era…
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