Some 2,000 people are expected to attend the Queen’s state funeral later, in what will be one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and politicians hosted in the UK for decades.
No official guest list has been published, but here’s what we know about who will - and won’t - be attending at 11am service at Westminster Abbey.
Foreign royals
Members of royal families from across Europe will attend the funeral. This includes the kings and queens of Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
From further afield, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are attending.
World leaders
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have travelled to London for the funeral. Other world leaders we expect to see this morning are French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with leaders from many other Commonwealth nations. South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived, as has Kenya’s William Ruto.
Russia, Belarus and Syria have been excluded.
UK politicians and officials
Many familiar faces from British public life will be there.
Prime Minister Liz Truss, who the Queen appointed just two days before she died, is heading to the abbey with other government figures, as well as opposition politicians, leaders of the UK’s devolved governments, and numerous other public officials.
Charities, sport, arts and science
Alongside the Queen’s family and friends, we also expect to spot representatives from charities she supported, as well as recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross.
The funeral looks likely to be a who’s who of the late monarch’s 70-year-reign, with famous faces expected.
Biden one of few allowed to arrive by helicopter to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral
President Joe Biden will be one of the only world leaders allowed to use his helicopter in London when he arrives for the Queen’s funeral, The Post has confirmed.
The Post is told that the President will be guarded by hundreds of security agents, with 100 alone focused on guarding the helicopter, which is dubbed ‘Marine One’ when Biden is on board.
US Embassy sources this week told The I newspaper that Biden will travel with “his usual security detail,” which is made up of around 400 Secret Service officers, and will make him the most highly guarded person at the state funeral on Monday.
Foreign leaders were asked to fly to the UK by commercial flights and were told they would be taken to the funeral by escorted shuttle buses due to the tight security and road restrictions.
However, Biden is set to arrive on Air Force One and will be allowed to ride in the 6,800kg bulletproof presidential limousine, nicknamed “The Beast,” to the funeral at Westminster Abbey for security reasons. “The Beast” will be flown over in a separate military cargo plane.
https://nypost.com/2022/09/17/biden-to-arrive-by-helicopter-to-queen-elizabeths-funeral/
“...one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and politicians hosted in the UK for decades.”
Probably since Edward VIIs funeral in 1910. Right before World War I.