Cost of the Royal visit revealed
THE cost of the journey made by The Queen and Meghan Markle, the Duchess Of Sussex, to Halton last year to officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge has been revealed.
Her Majesty and the Duchess conducted their first official engagement together last June when they travelled to the borough for a ceremony officially opening the new six-lane tolled crossing between Runcorn and Widnes.
The duo arrived at Runcorn Station by Royal Train before being collected and conveyed by Royal car to Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes.
They met schoolchildren and dignitaries before being introduced to individuals involved in the project from the planning stages to its construction and residents reported to have benefitted.
Halton Borough Council leader, Cllr Rob Polhill, gave a short speech before the Queen unveiled the plaque commemorating the opening of the £1.86bn Mersey Gateway.
On the same day, both The Queen and the Duchess were later transported to Chester to officially open the Storyhouse theatre before visiting Chester Town Hall.
The latest Royal accounts have now been released for the 2018-19 financial ● year and gives details of expenditure.
For the trip spanning from Wednesday, June 13, to Thursday, June 14, the total cost of the journey was £29,714.
The visit took place around a month after the Duchess had married Prince Harry, with the couple welcoming their first son, Archie, this May.
Reflecting on the year, the Keeper Of The Privy Purse, Sir Michael Stevens, said: “The year under review has been another busy period for the Royal Household with The Queen undertaking 140 official engagements in the United Kingdom, including the Commonwealth Heads Of Government meeting at Buckingham Palace and the visit of the President Of The United States to Windsor.
“In addition, the programme of other Members Of The Royal Family who support The Queen helped the Royal Family deliver over 3,200 official engagements across the UK and overseas.”