Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral on Monday is set to be attended by world leaders, politicians, public figures and European royals, in addition to more than 500 dignitaries from around the world. Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 in Scotland at the age of 96.
More than 100 heads of state including India’s President Draupadi Murmu will participate in the funeral ceremony. President Draupadi Murmu arrived in London on Saturday night. The Indian High Commissioner to Britain received the President and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra at Gatwick International Airport. The President will attend the funeral and offer his condolences on behalf of India.
U.S. President Joe Biden and other dignitaries are arriving in London for the funeral, to which around 500 royals, heads of state and heads of government from around the globe have been invited.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand President Jacinta Ardern, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and about 100 heads of state will participate in the funeral ceremony.
Although Chinese President Xi Jinping has been invited, it is reported that Vice President Wang Chishan will attend the ceremony. Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, Spain's King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, Belgium's King Philippe, Queen Matilda, Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will also attend the funeral. The royal families of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Monaco will also attend the ceremony.
However, leaders from 6 countries not invited to the Funeral like leaders and officials from Russia will be absent during the Queen's funeral. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated King Charles III's ascension to the throne, relations between the UK and Russia have collapsed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus has also not been invited to the state funeral. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Myanmar has also not been invited, following a coup in the country last year. Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan are the other countries not invited.
North Korea and Nicaragua have been invited "only at ambassadorial level.
Leaders of nearly 200 countries and territories flying into London were strongly encouraged to take commercial flights because of the complexity of scheduling landing slots all around the same time at airports still short-staffed from the coronavirus pandemic.