Tuesday, December 23, 2025
ADVT 
National

PM stayed in $6k London suite for royal funeral

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 23 Mar, 2023 05:07 PM
  • PM stayed in $6k London suite for royal funeral

OTTAWA - The Prime Minister's Office says Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, stayed in a $6,000 per night hotel suite while attending the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II.

The stay at the Corinthia London hotel became the subject of public debate last fall when media honed in on the details of the $400,000 trip, after obtaining documents through access-to-information requests.

But Trudeau's office and Global Affairs Canada did not respond to questions last month about who stayed in the expensive river suite, which features a butler service.

Opposition MPs on the government operations committee asked for a copy of all receipts and invoices associated with the trip last month.

The room was booked on Sept. 9, one day after the Queen's death, for Sept. 15 to 20.

In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office says hotel prices surged significantly ahead of the funeral, and many London hotels were sold out as 500 heads of state and their delegations descended on the city.

The hotel's website currently lists the suite at 5,154 British pounds per night, higher than the 4,800 pounds the government was charged in September.

A night in the river suite next month would come out to more than $8,000 at the current exchange rate.

The Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to questions about the higher prices and why the government chose this particular hotel.

Documents released through access-to-information requests note that the booking was for a three-bed suite. The hotel's website says it has one king-sized bed but there are "connecting rooms available on request."

In November, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre peppered Trudeau with questions in the House of Commons about who stayed in the suite, but he didn't answer.

"The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a significant event for Canadians. Canada was represented by former prime ministers and governors general to pay their respects to the monarch who oversaw almost half of Canada’s time as an independent country," said a press secretary for Trudeau in a written statement Thursday.

MORE National ARTICLES

Weekend rain gives B.C. only modest drought relief

Weekend rain gives B.C. only modest drought relief
The storm prompted high streamflow advisories for waterways across Vancouver Island and the central and south coasts, but the River Forecast Centre expected levels to peak by late Monday, while another powerful rainstorm could arrive by the end of the week.

Weekend rain gives B.C. only modest drought relief

Witness says she told mayor he had a scaly face

Witness says she told mayor he had a scaly face
Johnstone says she was in her car when she told McCallum to resign and that she would be the one to bring him down. McCallum, who lost his bid for re-election two weeks ago, has pleaded not guilty to the public mischief charge filed against him last December.  

Witness says she told mayor he had a scaly face

New contract for B.C. public school teachers

New contract for B.C. public school teachers
The association says the agreement follows the provincial shared recovery mandate, which sets out specific wage increases, including inflation protection, while ensuring the government has the resources to protect services and support economic recovery.  

New contract for B.C. public school teachers

New deal would give B.C. family doctors pay raise

New deal would give B.C. family doctors pay raise
Currently, family doctors are paid through a fee-for-service model and the government said the new plan will also pay them for hours worked, administrative costs, and the number and complexity of patients. Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh, president of Doctors of BC, said the deal represents a "seismic shift" in the way family medicine is practised in the province.

New deal would give B.C. family doctors pay raise

Vancouver Police investigating after five people stabbed in less than an hour early Sunday morning

Vancouver Police investigating after five people stabbed in less than an hour early Sunday morning
VPD officers responded to a triple stabbing at a bar near Oak Street and West Broadway around 1:30 a.m. Sunday, after a confrontation between two groups left three men seriously injured. The victims, all men in their 20s from White Rock, were in Vancouver for a birthday celebration.

Vancouver Police investigating after five people stabbed in less than an hour early Sunday morning

Canadians cut coupons as food prices surge: survey

Canadians cut coupons as food prices surge: survey
The majority of respondents in a Canada-wide survey released Monday said they are using coupons or hunting for sales to cope with increasing food costs. Nearly 20 per cent were also reducing meal sizes or skipping meals altogether in order to save money.

Canadians cut coupons as food prices surge: survey