Saturday, December 20, 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

Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault

Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault
Richard Gauthier was on trial on three charges in connection with crimes he committed in the 1980s involving a teenage male skater whom he trained. Gauthier, 61, was found guilty on two charges, in a ruling rendered in Montreal by Quebec court Judge Josée Bélanger. He was acquitted of a third count of indecent assault against the victim, whose identity is covered by a publication ban.

Famed Canadian skating coach guilty of sex assault

'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police

'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police
 Police say drivers on the Alex Fraser Bridge outside Vancouver honked and yelled at a man in a mental health crisis standing outside the safety rail, with some encouraging him to "take action." According to a police statement, some drivers walked up the bridge deck, interfered with the negotiations, and videoed or photographed the man.  

'Take action,' drivers urged man on bridge: police

Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley

Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley
The partnership to protect the Incomappleux Valley east of Revelstoke, B.C., involves Interfor Corp. giving up 75,000 hectares of its forest tenure. The Nature Conservancy says it a statement that several species at risk are found the valley, including two endangered bats and the threatened southern mountain caribou.  

Interfor gives up tenure to conserve B.C. valley

Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam

Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam
In November, 2022 a buyer connected with a seller on Craigslist to purchase what was advertised as a Rolex Wimbledon watch, which the seller said came with a receipt and certificate of authenticity. The buyer paid the seller $10,000 after meeting in-person in Burnaby.

Online marketplace buyer is out $10K with counterfeit Rolex scam

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%
Inflation is projected to come down significantly this year. Lower energy prices, improvements in global supply conditions, and the effects of higher interest rates on demand are expected to bring CPI inflation down to around 3% in the middle of this year and back to the 2% target in 2024.

BOC hikes rates for 8th consecutive time, key interest rate at 4.5%

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal
Speakers at the meeting include members of the Competition Bureau, outside competition experts and company representatives including Rogers chief executive Tony Staffieri. The meeting comes a day after the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Competition Bureau to overturn the Competition Tribunal's approval of the deal.

Industry committee meeting on Rogers-Shaw deal