Wednesday, December 31, 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

Trudeau still favoured as PM over Poilievre: poll

Trudeau still favoured as PM over Poilievre: poll
The poll shows support for the Liberals fell a dramatic five points since early August, while the Tories gained six points. The NDP also rose by two and the People's Party of Canada fell by two. The poll suggests the Liberals' popularity has declined since one year ago, when Trudeau was re-elected for a second time to form a minority government.

Trudeau still favoured as PM over Poilievre: poll

Appeal Court removes stay on Broncos lawsuit

Appeal Court removes stay on Broncos lawsuit
Sixteen people were killed and 13 were injured when an inexperienced truck driver went through a stop sign and into the path of the junior hockey team's bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Sask., on April 6, 2018. Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the trucker who caused the crash, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges. In July, he was granted day parole for six months.

Appeal Court removes stay on Broncos lawsuit

Eyes on affordability as House of Commons returns

Eyes on affordability as House of Commons returns
Any sparks that may fly between Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will have to wait for Thursday, when Trudeau returns to the House following the United Nations General Assembly. On Tuesday, the Liberals wasted no time introducing legislation to offer some brief respite to lower-income Canadians struggling to pay their bills amid soaring costs.

Eyes on affordability as House of Commons returns

Feds mull lifting COVID-19 travel measures

Feds mull lifting COVID-19 travel measures
A senior government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss matters not made public says no decision has been made. Under the soon-to-expire rules, foreign nationals are typically not allowed to travel to Canada unless they have completed a primary series of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, unless they qualify for an exception.

Feds mull lifting COVID-19 travel measures

Injured man located in running vehicle passes away in Surrey, traffic being re-routed: IHIT

Injured man located in running vehicle passes away in Surrey, traffic being re-routed: IHIT
On Tuesday morning at 9:25 a.m, Surrey RCMP,  received a reported of a person passed out in a running vehicle in the 8800-block of 127 Street. First responders arrived on scene and located an injured person who was unresponsive. Despite lifesaving efforts, the man did not survive.  

Injured man located in running vehicle passes away in Surrey, traffic being re-routed: IHIT

Liberals table dental-care legislation

Liberals table dental-care legislation
If granted royal assent, Bill C-31 would provide qualifying families with children under the age of 12 with up to $650 per child each year to pay for dental care services. Families with a household income under $90,000 need to provide the Canada Revenue Agency with the name of their licensed dental-care practitioner and the month of the planned appointment.

Liberals table dental-care legislation