Invites for the Queen's state funeral have not been sent to Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar - while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level.
Around 500 dignitaries are expected to travel to London for the event, with most heads of state being sent an invite for themselves and one guest. The officials will join members of the royal family and UK prime minister past and present at Westminster Abbey to pay their final respects to long-reigning monarch.
“This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” a Whitehall source said. The source compared the logistical task to organising “hundreds of state visits” within a matter of days. Normally, there might only be two or three a year.
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It presents a huge logistical, diplomatic and security challenge, with practice runs taking place in the dead of night. Invitations were sent over the weekend to the heads of state of countries with whom the UK has diplomatic relations.
US president Joe Biden was among the first to declare he would be flying in with his wife, Jill Biden. The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, with New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern saying she would make the nearly 24-hour journey.
Her Canadian and Australian counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese, have also confirmed their presence. Mr Albanese announced that he will not be travelling alone, tweeting that at the Palace’s invitation, he and governor-general David Hurley will be accompanied by “10 Australians who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities”.
France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s Sergio Mattarella, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro are among the presidents attending, along with the European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen. King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, are among the European royals who will attend.
Emperor Naruhito of Japan is also expected to travel to London in what would be his first overseas trip since ascending the throne in 2019. But it is not thought the trip will be made by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who took time out from organising his country’s fightback against Russian president Vladimir Putin’s forces to sign a book of condolence for the Queen.
Downing Street on Monday refused to comment on reports that world leaders visiting London for the Queen’s state funeral have been asked to travel on commercial flights and will be bussed to Westminster Abbey. Mr Biden is understood to have dispensation to take the heavily armoured presidential car known as the Beast while other leaders will have to take the bus.
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