Who Will and Who Won’t Attend the Queen Funeral?
A majority of world leaders have confirmed they will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, but who won’t? The British authorities haven’t yet made a decision on who will be invited to the funeral. The list could include Europe’s kings and queens, the First Lady of the United States, and more.
Who gets to attend a royal funeral? This is not a decision that the British authorities make on their own. The Queen’s private secretary informs the Prime Minister, and the Privy Council Office, which coordinates government work for the monarch. The day of the death, known as “D-Day”, and the days leading up to the funeral are known as “D+1”. The new monarch meets the Earl Marshal, and the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister are invited to attend the funeral.
It is expected that Queen Elizabeth’s body will be moved to Westminster Abbey on the tenth day of her death, where the elaborate state funeral will be attended by dignitaries from around the world. The UK has no legal limit on the size of the delegations, but the authorities do limit the number of foreigners allowed to attend the funeral. However, the king’s family may still decide to limit the number of people that can attend.
Europe’s kings and queens
The funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will be attended by a number of minor royal families from across Europe, including the Belgian and Dutch royal families. Former Spanish King Juan Carlos will attend, pausing his self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi to attend the service. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are also expected to attend. The White House has also confirmed that President Joe Biden will attend. First Lady Jill Biden is expected to attend the service as well.
The funeral will take place at the church where Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947. The church has a capacity for 2,000 people, and has served as the site of all but two British coronations since 1066. Other notable guests expected to attend the funeral include Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, and the French President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, Spain’s King Felipe VI is likely to attend as well, as he has blood ties with the British royal family going back to the 19th century. Other countries like Iran will send ambassadors to attend the service.
The Queen’s funeral is expected to be televised. The BBC’s newsreaders are expected to wear black ties and black suits and they are also keeping black ties on standby. Prince Charles and Camille will also be present, but will not be attending the funeral.
The funeral is expected to draw dozens of world leaders. In order to prevent crowding at London airports, protocol instructions call for foreign leaders to use commercial flights. They should also keep their delegations small and only invite their spouses.
Other guests expected at the state funeral of the Queen will include Prince William, who has three young children. Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are expected to attend. Several other royals will also attend the service, including the cousins of the Queen and her children. Other expected guests include the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS). In addition to the British royalty, the funeral is expected to draw leaders from across the world.
