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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

More than 250,000 people filed past Queen's coffin during lying in state

More than 250,000 people went through Westminster Hall to see the Queen lying in state in days leading up to the state funeral.

The queue to allow mourners to pay their last respects to late monarch was shut several times after the crowds exceeded the planned 10 miles.

Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said the final tally was still being worked out but confirmed that more than a quarter of a million people filed past the Queen's coffin over the four-day period.

"Over 250,000 people went through Parliament," she told Sky News

"We are just crunching the final numbers so that's an approximate figure at the moment."

Mourners wait in line to see the Queen lying in state (Jack Dredd/REX/Shutterstock)

Some 200,000 people lined up to visit the Queen Mother when she lay in state in Westminster Hall in 2002 - and Whitehall estimates had been significantly higher for the Queen.

Ms Donelan said that she couldn't give a figure for the cost of the state funeral but she added: "I think the British public would argue that was money well spent."

She said: "You saw so many thousands out there and I don't think anybody can suggest that our late monarch didn't deserve that send-off, given the duty and the selfless service that she committed to over 70 years."

The cost to taxpayers of the Queen’s state funeral, lying-in-state and other public events will be published “in due course”, No10 said.

Downing Street confirmed the government will issue a final figure for the grand ceremonies, which captivated the nation and were attended by hundreds of thousands.

The Queen Mother’s funeral 20 years ago cost an estimated £2.1million for police, and £825,000 for her lying in state.

The eight pallbearers carried Queen Elizabeth II from Westminster Abbey followed by the royal family (Getty Images)

Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011 cost £3.8m in additional police costs, which included giving all PCs and Sergeants double pay because the day was declared a bank holiday.

But estimates for the cost of the Queen's funeral have varied wildly.

The 10-day period of national mourning for the Queen culminated in the state funeral on Monday,

World leaders, foreign royals and hero Brits were among the crowds joining King Charles and the royal family to say goodbye to the Queen.

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the route from Westminster Abbey to Windsor where the late sovereign was laid to rest.

The Royal Family will observe another week of mourning but public facing Government activity can now resume after a 10-day pause.

New PM Liz Truss has flown to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, while at home aides are preparing for a policy blitz, including a mini-Budget on Friday.

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