4 hours ago
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Britain will hold a state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II next Monday (September 19), with world leaders and members of the royal family expected to attend the largest funeral in decades.
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Invitations to the funeral were sent out over the weekend and around 500 foreign dignitaries are expected to attend, including heads of state and members of the royal family.
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Most leaders were told to travel to the UK on commercial flights rather than private jets, and were told to take a bus together from a location in west London to the ceremony site.
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The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey in London, which can seat around 2,200 people.
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Below are those that are currently known to participate and those that won’t.
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European royal family
image source,Reuters
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The Dutch King William Alexander (second from left) and Queen Maxima (first from left) will participate.
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Royals from all over Europe, many of whom are blood relatives of the queen, should be in attendance.
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King Philip and Queen Matilda of Belgium confirmed their presence, as well as King William Alexander and Queen Maximus of the Netherlands, and the king’s mother, Princess Beatrix, former Queen of the Netherlands.
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Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also accepted the invitations, as did the royals of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
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President America
image source,EPA
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US President Biden Leaves Message In Queen’s Mourning Book, Will Attend Queen’s Funeral With His Wife
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The White House has confirmed that President Joe Biden will be present with the first lady, although it is understood that they will not take the bus to Westminster with the others.
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The question of whether Biden will invite former President Trump as part of the US delegation has been discussed many times, but the limited number of delegations means the former president will not necessarily be able to attend.
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It is speculated, however, that some former presidents and wives, notably Barack Obama and his wife, may be invited as private guests.
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US News Politico reported that former US President Jimmy Carter, who ruled from 1977 to 1981, was not invited.
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head of the Commonwealth
image source,Reuters
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New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern accepted the invitation
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The queen is also the head of state of the Commonwealth of Nations during her reign and many Commonwealth leaders are expected to attend the queen’s funeral.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau all accepted the invitations.
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Governors representing the British monarch in Commonwealth countries should also participate with their national leaders.
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Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power for many years, and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe also reportedly accepted the invitation, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet confirmed his presence.
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other leaders
image source,CHRISTOF STACHE
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German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian president Mattarella will be present
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Other world leaders who have accepted the invitations include Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. von der Leyen).
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South Korean President Yoon Sek-yue and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro also confirmed their presence.
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Also present will be the Japanese emperor Naruhito, the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the French president Emmanuel Macron.
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Chinese leader Xi Jinping received the invitation. The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing “considers sending a high-level delegation”. Xi Jinping will visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on the 14th, his first overseas visit since the outbreak of the new corona epidemic.
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According to British government sources, Iran, which has long faced international sanctions for its nuclear program, will only be represented at the level of ambassadors.
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not invited
image source,Reuters
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Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited
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British government sources told BBC foreign affairs correspondent James Landale that representatives from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan had not been invited to attend.
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This is because the UK does not have full diplomatic relations with these countries.
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North Korea and Nicaragua were only invited to send ambassadors, not heads of state.
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Countries such as Russia, Belarus and Myanmar have not received any invitations.
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British-Russian diplomatic relations have nearly collapsed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and last week a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said he “was not considering” attending the funeral.
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Part of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine was launched from the territory of Belarus, where President Aleksandr Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin.
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Following the military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, the UK significantly reduced diplomatic relations with Myanmar.
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