Thursday, January 1, 2026
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

10,000 drug deaths since B.C. emergency: coroner

10,000 drug deaths since B.C. emergency: coroner
New data from the coroner's service says at least 1,095 residents are believed to have died from January to June this year, at an average of six deaths per day. The report found more than three-quarters of the those who died this year have been male, and most were between the ages of 30 and 59.

10,000 drug deaths since B.C. emergency: coroner

Border officers cite discrimination by colleagues

Border officers cite discrimination by colleagues
The figures are drawn from a survey conducted as part of an internal Canada Border Services Agency evaluation that looked at how the agency processed travellers, using a lens of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability, and the interaction between these factors.

Border officers cite discrimination by colleagues

Inflation slows to 7.6% in July as gas prices fall

Inflation slows to 7.6% in July as gas prices fall
The inflation rate hit a nearly 40-year-high of 8.1 per cent in June, but economists were widely expecting inflation to have since slowed. In its latest consumer price index report, Statistics Canada said the July saw the smallest monthly gains since December 2021.

Inflation slows to 7.6% in July as gas prices fall

Man shot and killed in police engagement in Kamloops, case of child abduction

Man shot and killed in police engagement in Kamloops, case of child abduction
After 3 a.m., the male suspect then reportedly exited the trailer with a weapon and a child. During the engagement with officers, the man was shot and killed. The child was uninjured and a woman was subsequently located with non-life injuries inside the trailer.  

Man shot and killed in police engagement in Kamloops, case of child abduction

Sunken boat's fuel stirs fear for B.C. orcas

Sunken boat's fuel stirs fear for B.C. orcas
Peter Ross, a senior scientist with Raincoast Conservation Foundation, said the vessel sank in an important feeding area for endangered southern resident killer whales. It will be a race against time to clean up the spill, he said. 

Sunken boat's fuel stirs fear for B.C. orcas

Sunday morning South Surrey shooting leaves bullet holes in residence, burnt vehicle located

Sunday morning South Surrey shooting leaves bullet holes in residence, burnt vehicle located
In the early morning hours on Sunday, August 14th,  at 12:38 a.m., Surrey RCMP received a report of shots fired at a residence with a vehicle heard speeding away in the 2600-block of 176Street. Officers attended the scene of the shooting and spoke with a homeowner who located bullet holes in the exterior of their residence. No one was reported injured as a result of this shooting.

Sunday morning South Surrey shooting leaves bullet holes in residence, burnt vehicle located