Guests have begun arriving at Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The elaborate ceremony, which takes place on Monday 19 September at Westminster Abbey, is set to be attended by some of the world’s most famous European royalty.
Beginning at 11am on Monday, it’s expected that all 2,000 seats in Westminster Abbey will be filled during the state funeral.
While heads of state, prime ministers, and presidents from around the globe have already confirmed their attendance at the funeral, many members of royal families across Europe are also expected to pay their respects to the Queen.
Here’s a list of all the European royals who have confirmed their attendance so far.
British royal family
All members of the British royal family will attend the Queen’s funeral, including King Charles III and the Queen Consort. His siblings – the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex – will also honour their mother at the funeral.
All eight of the Queen’s grandchildren are expected to attend as well. The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make their third appearance together at the funeral. And cousins Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn are likely to honour their grandmother at the funeral.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte will attend, it has been confirmed. However, Prince Louis, 4, the youngest child of Prince William and Princess Kate, will not attend.
The Queen also has four living cousins – the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra – who are sure to attend. The Queen’s late sister, Princess Margaret, also has two children who are expected to attend the funeral: Lady Sarah Chatto and David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon.
Spain
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain have accepted an invitation to the Queen’s funeral. The Queen’s cousin and former king of Spain, King Juan Carlos I, has accepted his invitation to the funeral. However, his attendance was recently contested by the Spanish government amid his allegations of fraud and harassment.
Monaco
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene will be at the Queen’s funeral, according to the Daily Mail. The prince and princess also attended a church service at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Monaco in memory of the Queen on 12 September. Princess Charlene shared a heartfelt tribute to Instagram following the news of the Queen’s death, writing, “I am deeply saddened at the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a truly great lady whose dedication and service was recognised throughout the world during the 70 years of her reign.”
Denmark
Queen Margrethe II, who is now the longest reigning queen in Europe, will be attending the funeral of her distant cousin. The Danish palace has also confirmed the queen’s heir, Crown Prince Frederik, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will also be present.
During her golden jubilee celebration in Copenhagen this week, Queen Margrethe led a minute of silence for her purported close friend.
Norway
King Harald V of Norway, the second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, will most likely attend the funeral on Monday. The monarchs share the same great-grandparents – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. This means that the Queen’s grandfather, King George V, and King Harald’s grandmother, Norway’s Queen Maud, were siblings.
Belgium
The Royal Palace of Belgium has confirmed King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will attend the Queen’s state funeral.
Sweden
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is third cousins to the late British monarch, both being descendants of Queen Victoria. His wife, Queen Silvia, will join him as well.
Netherlands
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, along with former Dutch queen Princess Beatrix, will attend the funeral, according to the Royal House of the Netherlands.
“We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection,” the Dutch royal family said in a statement after the Queen’s passing. “Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people.”
“We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time. We are very grateful for our countries’ close friendship, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution.”
Luxembourg
Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa will attend the Queen’s state funeral, per L’essential.
Liechtenstein
Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein have confirmed their attendance at the Queen’s funeral.
