How Much Did Queen Elizabeth II’s Funeral Cost? What to Know

An expensive tribute. Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral was an event unlike anything the United Kingdom has ever seen — and the cost reflected that fact.

The British government hasn’t confirmed the exact cost of the event, but a former royal security officer told the New York PostHe believes that the security alone will exceed $7.5 million. “This is the biggest policing operation that United Kingdom policing has ever undertaken,” Simon MorganAccording to the outlet, on Thursday, September 15, they stated that the total cost of security for the 2012 Olympics in London is likely to be higher than the price of security.

Security Prince William‘s 2011 wedding to Princess KateAccording to estimates, the cost was $7 million The Washington Post. As the newspaper noted, however, the queen’s Monday, September 19, funeral was attended by a larger number of world leaders, meaning that security costs were likely much higher.

The British Prime Minister is not the only one. Liz TrussThe funeral was attended by President Barack Obama. Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin TrudeauFrench President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Spain’s King Felipe VIAnd Queen Letizia and Belgium’s Queen MathildeAnd King Philippe.

Elizabeth’s funeral is the first state funeral to take place in the U.K. since Winston Churchill’s ceremony in 1965. The queen’s father, King George VI, was also honored with a state funeral in 1952.


Queen Elizabeth II.
Chris Jackson/AP/Shutterstock

Princess Diana and the Queen Mother received ceremonial funerals in 1997 and 2002, respectively, but Monday’s event likely cost far more than either of those. According to a House of Commons report, the Queen Mother’s funeral was estimated to have cost $954,000 for the period she was lying in state, while the security cost $5 million.

King Charles IIIMonday was also declared a bank holiday in the U.K., which means that many businesses are closed across the country. Financial analyst Danni Hewson told Fox Business that the nation’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport estimated that the day could cost the U.K.’s economy $2.6 billion, though increased tourism could somewhat decrease that number.

Monday’s ceremony capped off a week of tributes to the queen, who died at age 96 on September 8. As her coffin was being moved from one location to another in England and Scotland, there have been many processions. Her casket was moved to Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse on September 11.

From there, the queen’s coffin was moved to St Giles’ Cathedral before making the journey to London via plane. The coffin was taken from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall by the royal family on September 14.

The funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. All of her grandchildren and children attended the ceremony. The coffin was then taken by the family to Wellington Arch where it was loaded into a hearse. It was then driven to Windsor Castle. The queen will be laid to rest in the estate’s King George VI Memorial Chapel on Monday evening alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in April 2021.