Foreign Office officials ‘ditched buses for dignitaries’ at the King’s coronation after backlash at the Queen’s funeral: ‘Macron was peeved but some of the Gulf leaders really were furious’

Given the huge number of world leaders attending the Queen’s funeral, it was clear that not all of them could be expected to travel to and from the service at Westminster Abbey in their own cars.

As one member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office explained, ‘it would have taken hours there and back’.

Moreover, a line of hundreds of cars and precursors would hardly provide a good representation of the king’s oft-quoted views on sustainability and climate change. So the leaders would all go by bus.

“Most were happy about this, especially because European monarchs do this kind of thing all the time,” said a senior Foreign Ministry official.

‘However, some, including the team around President Macron of France, did not like it at all.

“They were afraid that this would affect their home base, that people would mock them.”

French officials were particularly miffed that an exception was made for US President Joe Biden, whose security team would not tolerate him traveling in anything other than his bomb-proof limousine.

Foreign Office officials have learned one important lesson from the Queen’s funeral. “Macron was annoyed, but some Gulf leaders were really furious,” said a diplomatic source, “so we ditched (the buses) for the coronation.”

It wouldn’t be environmentally friendly, but there’s no avoiding a procession of limousines filling the streets around Westminster Abbey from first light.

© Robert Hardman, 2024

• Adapted from Charles III New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, published by Macmillan on January 18 for £22. To order a copy for £17.60 (offer valid until 29/02/2024; UK postage free on orders over £25) go to the mail shop. co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.