LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth’s funeral will take place in London on Monday, Sept. 19, and a host of world leaders, royalty and other dignitaries will attend.
The following have said they will come to London:
ROYAL ATTENDEES
– Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan
– King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
– King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
– King Philip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium
– Juan Carlos I, former King of Spain, and his wife Sofia
– Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary
– King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
– King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
NATIONAL LEADERS
– Joe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United States
– Emmanuel Macron, President of France
– Droupadi Murmu, President of India
– Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria
– Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
– Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister
– Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania
– Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan President
– Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
– Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean President
– Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
– Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
– Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy
– Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister
– Charles Michel, President of the European Council
– Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission
– Egils Levits, President of Latvia
– Paula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and Tobago
– Mohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime Minister
– Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland
– Katalin Novak, Hungarian President
– Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
– Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland
– Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica
– Floyla Tzalam, Governor General of Belize
– Susan Dougan, Governor General of St Vincent and the Grenadines
– Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
COUNTRIES NOT INVITED
– Russia, Myanmar, Belarus, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan
- For those invited to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday, the closing date for RSVPs is Thursday.
- A quarter of the 2,000 places at Westminster Abbey have been reserved for heads of state and their partners, with Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and Naruhito, the emperor of Japan, the best-known guests confirmed as coming from abroad.
- Invitations were sent out by the UK to heads of state of nearly every country, but a small number of countries have been left out because of political differences.
- Rulers from neither Syria, Venezuela nor Afghanistan’s Taliban had been invited, following the previous blacklisting of Russia, Belarus and Myanmar, the first two because of the war in Ukraine. North Korea and Nicaragua – with which the UK has ice-cold diplomatic relations – are being asked to send representatives at ambassadorial level, a signal of disapproval that has already been sent to Iran.
- Officials are expected to draw up the final guest list and finalise the seating plan for the funeral, which will reflect seniority and status. Foreign dignitaries who do come to Britain will also be invited to visit the Queen’s lying-in state inside parliament’s Westminster Hall ahead of the funeral.
- Funeral invitations have also been sent to all holders of Britain’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, and the George Cross, which can also be held by civillians.
