Speculation about the travel arrangements for foreign dignitaries expected to attend next Monday’s service intensified on Sunday after government documents emerged which said foreign heads of state would have to board a bus to Westminster Abbey en masse rather than use a private one. cars. The guidance, seen by the Guardian and first reported by Politico, sets out strict rules for the dozens of presidents, kings, queens and prime ministers expected to attend the funeral, calling on them to travel on commercial flights to avoid putting too much pressure on the London. airports. The protocol message also stated that international invitees should keep their delegations as small as possible and that funeral invitations were ideally limited to the head of state and his wife. Like his predecessors, Biden – who confirmed his presence on Saturday – usually travels abroad by helicopter and in the heavily armored presidential car known as the Beast. Joe Biden travels in the presidential limousine known as the Beast. Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters Asked about the reports on Monday, a spokeswoman for the new British prime minister, Liz Truss, stressed that “arrangements for different leaders will vary” and said the documents in question were just for guidance. The Guardian understands from US sources that the leaked document is not the version received by the White House, which does not impose the same limits on visitor numbers and modes of travel. This suggests that there are at least two versions of the invitation and perhaps more, each tailored to the specific country. The UK embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. According to Politico, a London-based foreign ambassador sent a WhatsApp message early Sunday that read: “Can you imagine Joe Biden on the bus?” Timothy Miller, a security expert and former US Secret Service agent, was even more blunt. “The bottom line is that the president of the United States would never fly commercially and/or ride a bus,” he said. Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at a bus stop in London. Photo: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP “There is a long history of his security being fully covered by host nations during these types of events. There is no way the Secret Service would compromise his safety even for an event like this.” Those confirmed to attend the funeral with Biden are Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and their Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau. On Monday, Ireland’s leader, Micheál Martin, said he would be at the funeral, adding that he and the country’s president, Michael D Higgins, would also attend a memorial service for the Queen in Belfast on Tuesday. According to media reports, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain will go to the funeral, and an invitation has also reportedly been sent to Felipe’s father, King Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Queen and Prince Philip pictured with King Felipe and Queen Letizia at Buckingham Palace in 2017. Photo: Neil Hall/Press Association Images Japan’s Emperor Naruhito could attend, as could Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to attend, while the Russian government said in a statement that Vladimir Putin’s presence at the funeral was “not under consideration”. Brazilian press reports say Bolsonaro sees the funeral as an opportunity to project international respectability and prestige ahead of the country’s Oct. 2 presidential election, which opinion polls show he is likely to lose. “Sources close to the president say [the decision to attend] influenced by the opportunity to record material for his election campaign propaganda,” the conservative Estado de São Paulo reported on Monday. A presidential aide told O Globo newspaper Bolsonaro saw the funeral as an opportunity to confront his leftist rival, former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who would not be in attendance. “The conditions are very favorable: [Bolsonaro] he will appear as head of state, surrounded by heads of state, while Lula will stay out,” the aide was quoted as saying. “It will enhance the image of the president as a leader.”
