Representatives of Belarus have also not been invited to the funeral, since the country supported its close neighbor and ally Russia in the invasion of Ukraine. And Myanmar, a former British colony now ruled by generals after a military coup in February last year, is the third country to avoid. Iran, meanwhile, has received an invitation from the State Department but is expected “to be represented only at the ambassadorial level.” In one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades, nearly 500 foreign dignitaries are to join the bereaved royal family in London to pay their last respects to Britain’s longest-serving monarch. They will join the royals and other senior members of British society, including former and current UK prime ministers, at Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday for the service. “This is the biggest international event we have hosted for decades,” a Whitehall source told the PA news agency, likening it to hosting “hundreds” of state visits at once. US President Joe Biden was among the first world leaders to say he would attend the service, after confirming he had been invited by the UK Foreign Office along with first lady Jill Biden. However, in a departure from tradition, this will be the full extent of the US delegation, with former presidents including Donald Trump not invited. The leaders of most Commonwealth nations are expected to mark their presence on September 19. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed she will make the nearly 24-hour journey on Wednesday with Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro to be in time for the funeral. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan along with Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro said they would travel to attend the funeral. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have also confirmed their attendance. Mr Albanese said he and Governor-General David Hurley would travel with 10 Australians who had made “outstanding contributions to their communities”. EU President Ursula von der Leyen is also expected to be present. Spain’s King Felipe and Japan’s Emperor Naruhito are among the royals reportedly planning to fly to the UK for the funeral. Members of the royal families in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are also expected to travel to London, although further details have yet to be confirmed. The Queen died on September 8 in Balmoral, Scotland, aged 96, after serving for 70 years as Britain’s head of state. Her coffin arrived at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh on Sunday, after a six-hour journey from Balmoral, and was due to lie in St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh for 24 hours until 5pm on Tuesday. Her coffin was due to be flown to London later on Tuesday to spend the night at Buckingham Palace, before traveling to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state for five days until her funeral.
