It's illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament

The Short Answer

MYTH! The UK Law Commission explicitly states no such law exists. They also found no law stating that dying in a royal palace entitles anyone to a state funeral.

The Full Story

The Claim: It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament because the Palace of Westminster is a royal palace, and anyone dying there would be entitled to a state funeral.

The Truth: The Law Commission's Statute Law Repeals team confirmed no such law exists.

People Who Have Died in Parliament (none received state funerals):

Guy Fawkes (executed, 1606)
Sir Walter Raleigh (executed, 1618)
Spencer Perceval (assassinated PM, 1812)
Sir Alfred Billson (died while voting on sugar tax, 1907)

Spencer Perceval, the only British PM ever assassinated, was buried at his family's expense.

Origin: Unknown, but possibly confusion with the Coroners Act 1988, which states deaths in royal palaces fall under the jurisdiction of the coroner of the Queen's household - a procedural matter, not a funeral entitlement.

Common Misconceptions

This is one of the most widely repeated "weird laws" in the world, but it is entirely fabricated. No such law has ever existed in UK statute. The myth likely originated from the false belief that dying in a royal palace entitles one to a state funeral. In fact, multiple people have died in the Palace of Westminster without receiving state funerals, including MP Sir Alfred Billson in 1907.

Actual Legal Text

No such law exists. The Law Commission's Statute Law Repeals team has confirmed there is no legislation making it illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament or any royal palace. The team has also been unable to trace any law granting a state funeral to anyone who dies in a royal palace.