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ABC News
ABC News
National
political reporter Jake Evans

Victoria Cross recipients and 10 additional Australians invited to attend Queen's funeral alongside Prime Minister and Governor-General

Decorated war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith will attend the Queen's funeral. 

Mr Roberts-Smith is currently suing The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times newspapers for defamation over 2018 stories that he claims contained false allegations of unlawful killings, bullying and domestic violence.

He is one of four Victoria Cross recipients invited by the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association. 

They will be travelling separately to the Prime Minister.

Ten additional invites to attend the Queen's funeral alongside the Prime Minister and Governor-General have been allocated to a select group of Australians.

These include Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, horse trainer Chris Waller, Senior Australians of the Year Valmai Dempsey and Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann, Local Heroes Shanna Whan Saba Abraham and Kim Smith, South Australia's Young Australian of the Year Trudy Lin, 2021 West Australian of the Year Helen Milroy, and i4give Day and Foundation co-founder Danny Abdallah.

Returned Services League president Greg Melick will also attend to represent one of the Queen's longstanding patronages.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Buckingham Palace had instructed realm nations to invite 10 "everyday" citizens who had made contributions to their local communities.

He said Mr Waller, who helped to train the Queen's horses, was an attendee who the Queen knew well.

"We would like to think that Her Majesty would be particularly pleased that Chris Waller has been chosen," he said.

"The Australians who have been invited, I think, embody an extraordinary contribution to our nation."

The attendees have been chosen to ensure representation from all of Australia's states and territories.

They will travel to London along with the original six invites, which includes the Prime Minister, Governor-General, the acting High Commissioner and their partners on Thursday.

While there, Mr Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley will also meet the new monarch, King Charles III.

They will return early next week for a national memorial service in Australia.

Travel assistance will also be provided to several Pacific nation leaders to attend, though it is not clear whether they will travel together with Mr Albanese.

Foreign leaders attending the Queen's funeral have been asked to avoid using private jets, and in some instances asked to travel by bus to the funeral, as major congestion from the event is expected.

Mr Alcott and other 2022 Australians of the Year held a video chat with the Queen earlier this year.

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