Saturday, December 27, 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 shooting in the Guildford area of Surrey lands man in hospital

Weekend shooting in the Guildford area of Surrey lands man in hospital
At approximately midnight on Sunday, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of shots fired in the 16200 block of 80thAvenue. A male suffering from injuries was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Weekend shooting in the Guildford area of Surrey lands man in hospital

COVID-19 travel restrictions, mask mandate ending

COVID-19 travel restrictions, mask mandate ending
The cabinet order maintaining COVID-19 border measures will not be renewed when it expires on Sept. 30. But Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is once again warning that pandemic restrictions could be reinstated if they are needed.

COVID-19 travel restrictions, mask mandate ending

B.C. to cut child-care fees by up to $550 a month

B.C. to cut child-care fees by up to $550 a month
The fee reductions will mean families with children in kindergarten and younger in eligible care, or about 69,000 kids, will receive the lower fees, she said at a news conference Friday at a Burnaby elementary school that provides child-care services.

B.C. to cut child-care fees by up to $550 a month

Temporary EI measures set to expire before reform

Temporary EI measures set to expire before reform
Workers applying for employment insurance benefits will have to qualify based on pre-pandemic rules starting Sunday, when temporary measures are set to expire. The Liberal government has pledged to reform EI and address gaps in the program, but temporary measures that were put in place during the pandemic will expire before any reform is implemented.

Temporary EI measures set to expire before reform

'Volatile' patient arrested at B.C. hospital

'Volatile' patient arrested at B.C. hospital
Vancouver Police say an investigation is underway after a patient allegedly armed with a knife chased a doctor at BC Women's Hospital and tried to access a locked nursery as staff hid to protect themselves. Sgt. Steve Addison says he has listened to chilling 911 calls from staff and social workers fearful of the volatile woman, whose child is also a patient at the hospital. 

'Volatile' patient arrested at B.C. hospital

Japanese Yakuza link in B.C. drug bust: RCMP

Japanese Yakuza link in B.C. drug bust: RCMP
A statement from the RCMP's federal serious and organized crime team says the investigation began in August 2019, when the Canada Border Services Agency intercepted a 12-kilogram shipment of methamphetamine destined for Japan.

Japanese Yakuza link in B.C. drug bust: RCMP