FROM THE DOWNING STREET WEBSITE:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/funeral-of-baroness-thatcher/
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The invitations to the funeral service of Baroness Thatcher at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 17 April will be printed today and will start being dispatched tomorrow.
The guest list has been drawn up by Lady Thatcher’s family and representatives with the assistance of the Government and the Conservative party. It is expected that over 2,000 invitations will be sent out.
The doors of St Paul’s Cathedral will open at 9am. Guests are asked to be seated by 10am with the service due to commence at 11am.
Those invited include family and friends of Lady Thatcher, those who worked with her over the years, including all surviving members of her Cabinets, former Chiefs of Staff, Conservative associates, Peers and MPs, members of the Cabinet, Peers and MPs, Members of the Order of the Garter, Members of the Order of Merit, foreign associates and dignitaries and representatives from the wide range of groups she was associated with.
In agreement with Lady Thatcher’s representatives, around 200 states, territories and international organisations are being invited to send an official representative to the funeral service. We have invited those countries and institutions with whom we have normal diplomatic relations. In addition, there are invitations being made in a personal capacity to some current and former world leaders as well as others from overseas who had a close connection to Baroness Thatcher.
St Paul’s has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day. Invitees include:
All surviving former prime ministers
All surviving former US Presidents and a Reagan family representative
Hillary Clinton
All surviving members of Lady Thatcher’s Cabinets
The current Cabinet
The Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition
President Jose Manuel Barroso
Sir Bernard and Lady Ingham
Fredrick Forsyth CBE
Former Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia
A representative of Nelson Mandela
Some of those attending include:
Mr & Mrs Michael Portillo
Tony & Cherie Blair
F.W. de Klerk
Dame Shirley Bassey DBE
Jeremy Clarkson
Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber
Lord and Lady Archer
Lord Powell of Bayswater KCMG OBE
Lord Carrington
Prime Minister Harper of Canada
Former Prime Minister Brian Mulrooney of Canada
As invites are accepted we will issue updates on this list.
The family has approved the guest list and the Cabinet Office and Foreign Office are assisting Lady Thatcher’s office in the process of sending out the invitations.
They have been contacting guests directly over the last couple of days to let them know that they are on the list. Invitations will be dispatched on Friday by First Class post. Additional requests from people wishing to attend are being discussed with the family on an on-going basis.
Dress code
The following dress code will be sent out with invitations:
Full Day Ceremonial without swords
Morning Dress (Black Waistcoat and Black Tie) / dark suit
Day dress with Hat
Medals and Decorations may be worn
Invitations
Invitations are due to be dispatched on Friday.
VIP invitations are white and those guests will be seated under the dome of the Cathedral – they have a red or green stripe – which designates port or starboard. All other invitations are different colours – depending on where your seat is in the Cathedral
However, I was really surprised by:
VIP invitations are white and those guests will be seated under the dome of the Cathedral...they have a red or green stripe which designates port or starboard.
Must be more sailors involved than any one guessed.
Safe harbor at last, Baroness
Thank you!
Apparently the BBC is the only channel that will carry live & uninterrupted coverage, beginning at 9:15 a.m. London time (4:15 East Coast time).
Thank you so much! I don’t know how I missed that you had done the research, I’m so sorry. Thank you again!