King Charles will receive world leaders ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

Presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from around the world will travel to London this weekend to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth II. On Sunday, the day before the monarch’s funeral, they will attend a reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort. Heads of state and other high-ranking foreign leaders will be invited to meet at the Royal Hospital, a retirement home for war veterans in west London, and are expected to travel as a group to Westminster Abbey, according to a senior Buckingham Palace official. . They will also be invited to visit the Queen’s Shrine, located in Westminster Hall.

Immediately after Monday’s funeral, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will host a reception for guests at Church House as members of the Royal Family travel to Windsor for the Queen’s funeral. While the dress code for the funeral rests with Buckingham Palace, British diplomats advise attendees to wear dark ceremonial clothes, although national dress may also be worn. Serving military personnel may wear ceremonial dress, with or without a sword.

The deadline to accept invitations is this Thursday. The UK government will not provide a full guest list of all foreign leaders who will be attending, partly for security reasons. Among the participants who have already confirmed their attendance are members of the royal families of several European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands. Also in attendance will be European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Indian President Draupadi Murmu. US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the most prominent international guests who have confirmed their attendance. (Reuters)