The whole world will be watching on Monday, September 19, when the UK puts its longest reigning monarch to rest.
Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral has been years in the planning and no effort will have been spared in ensuring the 96-year-old has a spectacle like no other for her send-off.
A one-hour funeral ceremony will be held in Westminster Abbey on Monday, which has been declared a bank holiday, with hundreds of foreign dignitaries and world leaders attending.
The monarch’s remains will then be taken to Windsor for a committal service at St George's Chapel, followed by a private burial that evening.
Millions at home and around the globe will be watching the procession and emotional services on their televisions and streaming devices.
It is likely to be the most expensive British state event witnessed in modern times.
How much will the Queen’s funeral cost?
The cost of the state funeral is expected to exceed £8 million, although no official number has been confirmed.
Estimates have swung widely — Indian publication The Economic Times estimated the cost to be £6 billion — but Full Fact says £8m is what previous state funerals or big royal events have come to.
However, the fact-checking website says it has not seen any figures which “appear to be based on a thorough and reliable calculation”.
Full Fact states: “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, 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.”
State funerals are usually reserved for monarchs but they can be bestowed upon a figure of national importance, such as a former prime minister.
The last state funeral was held for war leader Sir Winston Churchill upon his death in 1965.
What much do state funerals cost?
Full Fact has done a rundown of how much previous state funerals and those for significant figures have cost (after adjustment for inflation).
- Sir Winston Churchill (1965) — £1m
- Princess Diana (1997) — between £7-8m
- Queen Mother (2002) — £8.4m
- Baroness Margaret Thatcher (2013) — £3.8m
Prince Philip, the former Duke of Edinburgh, died in April 2021 while Covid-19 restrictions were still in place, meaning the cost of his requiem service was likely far lower than previous funerals.
Other huge royal events that came with hefty public costs included the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, in 2011.
The wedding was not paid for by the state but police time alone cost almost £9m, according to Full Fact.
Similarly, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ’s wedding in 2018 cost around £3.8m in police staffing.
Who pays for a state funeral?
State funeral costs are funded by out of public money — meaning taxpayers will be footing the bill.
Workers checking their next payslip will be able to see how much tax came out of their wage packet and know that some of that was put towards the pomp and pageantry of the Queen’s funeral.
