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How much will Margaret Thatcher's funeral cost?

How much is it really going to cost to lay Margaret Thatcher to rest? We've taken a look at the different funeral options available and the potential costs
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Silent farewell to Churchill
Margaret Thatcher's funeral next week will be of a scale not accorded to a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965. Photograph: Pa

Whether it's £8m or £10m, the estimated costs of Margaret Thatcher's funeral that are being widely reported don't seem to be based on any clear sources. Not here at the Datablog. We take a look at the different types of funeral to bury Britain's 'exceptionally distinguished' commoners and consider the costs that might be incurred.
Big British funerals
Funeral cost graphic Click on image for full-size graphic. Design by Finbarr Sheehy

If the estimates that are being circulated are correct, the funeral of Margaret Thatcher will be the most expensive in British history. The funeral of Sir Winston Churchill required £2,000 to cover the expenses of fire, police and civil defence services (the equivalent of almost £33,000 in 2012). Though policing costs aren't known, the Queen Mother's funeral cost the Ministry of Defence around £301,000 in 2002.
THE EXPENSIVE COST OF BURYING MRS THATCHER IS DISGRACEFUL.