The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II was held on Monday. This was the first United Kingdom state funeral since Winston Churchill in 1965.
Who was at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral?
Her Majesty’s state funeral concluded at noon with the national anthem.
According to BBC News, her private burial is expected to take place at 19:30. King Charles and the royal family will attend the private burial. Her Majesty will be buried alongside her late husband, Prince Philip
Scores of foreign royals and leaders were in attendance at the state funeral. Westminster Abbey has space for around 2 000 people, and approximately 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries and their partners were expected.
The Royal Family
King Charles III and the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex and the Countess of Wessex. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Lady Louise Windsor were seen arriving.
The Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and their two children, George and Charlotte, were in attendance.
Global leaders
United States President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden flew into Britain on Saturday, 17 September 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron was also in attendance.
Authoritarian leaders Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil were also expected. China announced that its vice-president, Wang Qishan, would be attending.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Charles Michel were to be expected as well.
Other heads of state at the funeral included presidents Sergio Mattarella of Italy, Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, Isaac Herzog of Israel, and Yoon Suk-yeol of Korea.
Commonwealth countries
Numerous leaders will come from countries that still counted Elizabeth II as their monarch and members of the 56-nation Commonwealth. South Africa’s very own President Cyril Ramaphosa was among those invited.
Other Commonwealth leaders attending include Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
World Royalty
Many royal families from around the world came to pay their respects. Japan’s Emperor, Naruhito and Empress Masako made their first overseas trip since assuming the throne in 2019.
The Kings of the Netherland, Denmark, and Spain were highly anticipated.
Who was not invited?
Russian President Vladimir Putinand Belarus was among the small group of nations that were excluded. This follows Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea (DPRK) and Nicaragua have been invited to send only ambassadors, not heads of state.
Other countries with no invitations include Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, and Venezuela. This is because the United Kingdom does not have full diplomatic relations with these countries.