How much does a state funeral cost?
The Queen’s funeral on Monday 19 September will be the first traditional state funeral in the United Kingdom since that of Winston Churchill in 1965.
But what exactly is a state funeral and who else has had one? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is a state funeral?
A state funeral is usually reserved for monarchs and is an opportunity to honor the life of the ruler.
It usually begins with the body of the deceased being transported on a gun carriage pulled not by horses but by sailors of the Royal Navy.
This is part of a military procession that takes them from a private chapel of rest to Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament.
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This is usually followed by another procession to Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s Cathedral, depending on where the service is taking place. The Queen’s funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey.
A 21-gun salute is then fired to the heads of state. It is the Earl Marshal’s duty to conduct a state funeral with the assistance of the College of Arms.
How much does it cost?
State funerals are publicly financed.
These large-scale events are subject to strict protocol and are held to honor people of national importance. In Britain, the last state funeral in 1965 cost an estimated £2.5 million ($2.9 million).
The Queen Mother’s ceremonial funeral in 2002 cost more than £5.4 million, police costs amounted to £4.3 million and the funeral cost £825,000.
Outside the UK, the funeral of the late President George HW Bush and related ceremonies in 2018 are estimated to have cost American taxpayers at least $500 million (£427 million) in lost productivity, lost wages for federal employees and other expenses.
Who is entitled to a state funeral?
The head of state is always entitled to a state funeral.
However, other people can be granted a state funeral with the approval of the monarch and a vote in Parliament. Parliament must classify the person as “extraordinarily distinguished” and then vote on funding the funeral.
Who has ever had a state funeral in the UK?
On 30 January 1965, Sir Winston Churchill was given a state funeral. It was the first state funeral of a politician in the 20th century and the largest national event since the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
Former Prime Ministers William Gladstone and Lord Palmerston received state funerals when they died in 1898 and 1865 respectively.
The Duke of Wellington received a state funeral in 1852 and Lord Nelson also received a state funeral in 1806 after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Monarchs who held a state funeral include Queen Victoria (1901), King Edward VII (1910), King George V (1936) and King George VI (1952).
The only monarch in the last 295 years who did not receive a state funeral was Edward VIII, who abdicated.
How is a state funeral different from a royal ceremony?
There are no major differences between the two types of burial. For example, both have a gun carriage on which the coffin is transported and a church service attended by domestic and foreign state representatives.
In addition, both may include a viewing, a tradition in which the body of the deceased is laid out in a state building to give the public the opportunity to pay their final respects.
Ceremonial royal funerals are held for members of the royal family who hold high military rank, the ruler’s wife, and the heir to the throne.
The Duke of Edinburgh received a ceremonial royal funeral in 2021, as did the Queen Mother in 2002 and Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in April 2013 was a ceremonial funeral with full military honours.
However, a state funeral may require a motion in Parliament for a non-sovereign, and the gun carriage containing the coffin is pulled by Royal Navy sailors using ropes rather than horses.
One of the main differences is who organizes the funeral. Ceremonial royal funerals are the responsibility of the Lord Chamberlain – the most senior official in the royal household – while state funerals are the responsibility of the Earl Marshal.
Are there private funerals for the royals?
Yes. Such funerals are usually held for all other members of the royal family, their children and spouses.
Where are members of the royal family buried?
Traditionally, members of the royal family are buried in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Royal Vault lies beneath St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor and has been the final resting place of the royals since the 15th century.
Although she will be buried in Windsor, the Queen will not be buried in the Royal Vault, which currently houses 25 members of the Royal Family. She will be buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
The late Duke of Edinburgh will soon be moved from the Royal Vault to King George VI’s Chapel to lie alongside the late Queen, her mother and father, King George VI, and Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
