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| Margaret Thatcher's funeral to involve 700 armed forces personnel | Margaret Thatcher's funeral to involve 700 armed forces personnel |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| More than 700 armed forces personnel drawn from all three services will take part in the funeral of Lady Thatcher, Downing Street has said. | More than 700 armed forces personnel drawn from all three services will take part in the funeral of Lady Thatcher, Downing Street has said. |
| Thatcher's coffin will be carried into St Paul's Cathedral by bearers from units particularly associated with the Falklands war. | Thatcher's coffin will be carried into St Paul's Cathedral by bearers from units particularly associated with the Falklands war. |
| David Cameron's official spokesman confirmed that details of the cost to the public purse would be published after next Wednesday's service had taken place. | David Cameron's official spokesman confirmed that details of the cost to the public purse would be published after next Wednesday's service had taken place. |
| Asked about reports that it could cost £8m or £10m, the spokesman said he had not seen figures along those lines. He said the Thatcher family would make a "contribution" to the cost of the funeral, but it would be up to them whether they chose to reveal how much they paid. | |
| He also said the prime minister regarded "celebration parties" that had taken place around the country as "distasteful". | |
| The spokesman said: "The prime minister agrees with the great majority of people who have found the ideas of the celebrations distasteful, and not really deserving of further comment than that." | |
| He said it was up to the police to decide whether a celebratory party in Trafalgar Square on Saturday night should be allowed to go ahead. | |
| The coffin will be drawn on a gun carriage of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery from St Clement Danes church (the church of the Royal Air Force) in the Strand to St Paul's, with the Royal Navy, the army and the Royal Air Force lining the route. Three military bands will play, their drums draped in black as a mark of respect. | |
| Outside the cathedral a guard of honour and band of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will be formed up. | Outside the cathedral a guard of honour and band of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will be formed up. |
| The Welsh Guards suffered heavy losses during the Falklands conflict – 32 Welsh Guards were among 48 members of the British forces who died when the troop ship Sir Galahad was bombed by the Argentinians in May 1982 in Britain's worst loss of the war. | |
| While the procession takes place, the Honourable Artillery Company will fire processional minute guns from Tower Wharf at the Tower of London. | |
| Thatcher's coffin will be carried into the cathedral by a bearer party made up of all three services, including those from ships, units and stations notable for their service during the Falklands campaign. Positioned on the steps will be a contingent of Royal Chelsea pensioners. | Thatcher's coffin will be carried into the cathedral by a bearer party made up of all three services, including those from ships, units and stations notable for their service during the Falklands campaign. Positioned on the steps will be a contingent of Royal Chelsea pensioners. |
| Downing Street said that in accordance with Thatcher's wishes, a flypast will not take place. | Downing Street said that in accordance with Thatcher's wishes, a flypast will not take place. |