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

Teen couple faces charges in Labour Day stabbing

Teen couple faces charges in Labour Day stabbing
VPD officers were called to the Hornby Street SRO around 8 a.m. yesterday, after the 25-year-old victim walked inside with multiple stab wounds. While some officers tended to the victim’s injuries, others set out to locate the suspects, who had fled the crime scene.

Teen couple faces charges in Labour Day stabbing

B.C. to launch fall COVID-19 booster campaign

B.C. to launch fall COVID-19 booster campaign
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the immunization campaign will also include more opportunities to get the flu vaccine as respiratory illnesses are expected to return after a decline due to COVID restrictions. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends people receive their second booster dose at least six months or longer after their first booster.

B.C. to launch fall COVID-19 booster campaign

Burnaby morning crash claims life of 75 year old female passenger

Burnaby morning crash claims life of 75 year old female passenger
On Tuesday, September 6, at 6:30 a.m., Coquitlam RCMP frontline officers were first to respond to a report of a single vehicle collision in the 200-block of North Road, near the Coquitlam-Burnaby border. The vehicle involved left the roadway and flipped. It does not appear any other vehicles were involved.

Burnaby morning crash claims life of 75 year old female passenger

Liberal cabinet meeting in Vancouver

Liberal cabinet meeting in Vancouver
Trudeau has indicated affordability will be a key agenda item as Canadians struggle to pay their bills and inflation keeps going after bank accounts with a wrecking ball.

Liberal cabinet meeting in Vancouver

Calls to make overdose education mandatory in B.C

Calls to make overdose education mandatory in B.C
The Simon Fraser University student is among a number of advocates who deliver overdose education in B.C. schools but want such information made a mandatory part of the curriculum. The Education Ministry said it's up to each school district to determine the delivery of any programs, including whether to stock naloxone kits or train teachers how to use them. 

Calls to make overdose education mandatory in B.C

Officials plan for spread of southwest B.C. blaze

Officials plan for spread of southwest B.C. blaze
The lightning-caused fire is burning south of Highway 3 in E.C. Manning Park, roughly five kilometres southwest of the Manning Park Resort.

Officials plan for spread of southwest B.C. blaze