The Queen's funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey with over 2,000 guests from all across the world and 500 royals, heads of state and other dignitaries are expected to attend. It is set to be one of the biggest international events hosted by the UK in decades. A BBC report says that the majority of leaders have been asked to arrive on “commercial flights and told they will be bussed en masse from a site in west London”. The funeral will take place on September 19 at 3.30 pm (India time).
Who will be in attendance?
Royal family members from across Europe are expected to attend the funeral. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will represent the United States. The majority of commonwealth leaders will also attend the funeral, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have confirmed their presence.
BBC report says that other world leaders have also accepted invitations including Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Italian President Sergio Mattarella as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro have also confirmed their attendance, the report said. Also expected to make the trip are Japanese Emperor Naruhito, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron. President Droupadi Murmu will represent India.
Who will not attend the funeral?
According to The Times, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine will not be there amid the ongoing war with Russia, nor will a rep from Russia or Belarus.
No representative has been invited from Myanmar, says a BBC report.
