Thatcher Funeral Cost Revealed By Number 10

Baroness Thatcher's funeral cost the taxpayer an estimated £3.6m, Downing Street has confirmed.

Several thousand invited mourners attended the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral, including dignitaries from around the world and all Lady Thatcher's prime ministerial successors.

The presence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh effectively raised it to a state event.

It was the first time the monarch had attended the funeral service of a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The amount revealed by the Government includes some £2m "opportunity costs" for police who would have been on other duties on the day.

Ceremonial costs, including the service at St Paul's, the reception at the Mansion House and the printing and circulation of invitations, came to around £500,000.

An estimated £1.1m went on additional security and policing.

The final costs will be published in due course, although the Prime Minister's spokesman said he expected they would be close to the estimated totals.

No 10 confirmed Lady Thatcher's family would be making a contribution to the overall bill, including the undertakers' costs and flowers.