Sunday, May 17, 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

B.C. report calls for more community fireproofing

B.C. report calls for more community fireproofing
The report, published this month by the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, says scientists found the root cause was "easily ignitable structures and homes, and not just a wildfire problem."

B.C. report calls for more community fireproofing

Man pushed to the ground and punched in the face before boarding a train in New Westminster

Man pushed to the ground and punched in the face before boarding a train in New Westminster
Metro Vancouver Transit Police have taken conduct of the file and are recommending one charge of assault for a 50-year-old man of no fixed address, who is known to police. The suspect was released at the scene with a court appearance scheduled for June 8, 2022.

Man pushed to the ground and punched in the face before boarding a train in New Westminster

COVID tests back up airports as travel takes off

COVID tests back up airports as travel takes off
Travellers who arrive in Canada are subject to random COVID-19 tests and must answer public-health questions on the ArriveCan app. Interim president Monette Pasher says the extra steps mean it takes four times longer to process passengers who come through customs than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic.    

COVID tests back up airports as travel takes off

Telus bulking up reach in B.C., Alberta

Telus bulking up reach in B.C., Alberta
Canada's third-largest telecom company says the investments will be in network infrastructure, operations and spectrum, and will help deliver 5G to remote communities.

Telus bulking up reach in B.C., Alberta

'Circle of care' for neurodiverse kids in B.C.

'Circle of care' for neurodiverse kids in B.C.
The plan is to open 40 so-called family connections centres, or hubs, across the province. Four are slated to provide services under a pilot program from next year — three in northwestern B.C., and another in the central Okanagan.

'Circle of care' for neurodiverse kids in B.C.

Man pleads guilty to killing mother and toddler

Man pleads guilty to killing mother and toddler
Mchale Busch, 24, and her son, Noah McConnell, were found dead in an apartment complex in Hinton, about 250 kilometres west of Edmonton, on Sept. 17, 2021.    

Man pleads guilty to killing mother and toddler