The Queen lands back in London: Her Majesty’s coffin begins journey to Buckingham Palace

The Queen has begun her final journey to Buckingham Palace, where she will be received by the entire Royal Family including King Charles III and the Queen Consort, his warring sons Princes William and Harry and their wives Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

The RAF Globemaster C-17 plane carrying Her Majesty’s coffin from Edinburgh landed at RAF Northolt in west London at around 6.55pm this evening, after she spent 24 hours in St Giles’ Cathedral where tens of thousands of mourners paid their respects to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and the Lord Chamberlain disembarked the plane and walked in silence to join the Reception Party, including Prime Minister Liz Truss and Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, on the airfield, alongside members of the Guard of Honour.

Members of the Guard of Honour presented arms as officials slowly carried the Queen’s coffin down a ramp from the aircraft. The guard then lowered the King’s Colour for The Royal Air Force in salute. They remained in position until the official hearse departed the airfield, as it began the journey by road along the A40 towards Buckingham Palace.

The Royal Standard is now draped over the coffin, instead of the Royal Standard of Scotland which adorned it before. Officials said the flags were discreetly switched while the Queen was in transit from Edinburgh.

When she arrives at the palace, a further guard of honour will be formed by the King’s Guard as the coffin arrives at the Grand Entrance. There, she will be received by the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – who have reportedly called a truce in their feud – among other members of the Royal Family.

The Queen will stay in the Palace overnight before she is transported to the Palace of Westminster, where she will lie in state until Monday, September 19 – the day of her state funeral at Westminster Abbey and burial at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.

Earlier the sound of pipes filled the streets as Her Majesty’s coffin – which was draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland and decorated with a large wreath – was carried out of St Giles’ Cathedral by kilt-incl thje wearing pallbearers after 4.15pm into a hearse then driven up the Royal Mile.

A guard of honour by the King’s Bodyguard for Scotland and pipers followed the Cortege towards Edinburgh Castle and on to Edinburgh Airport.

A sea of thousands of mourners – including young schoolgirls wearing tartan and waving Union flags – packed into the capital’s tiny streets broke out into applause, while the Scottish flag, the Saltaire, flew at half-mask from the top of a building. The enormous crowd of men, women and children continued to clap for the monarch as the last company of soldiers followed the procession.

At Edinburgh Airport, the Queen was received by the Royal Regiment of Scotland with a royal salute, before a bearer party from the Royal Air Force carried the coffin onto the aircraft  accompanied by her daughter the Princess Royal. As the plane took off at around 5.40pm, the national anthem was played.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack were among the dignitaries present at the airport, including Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone and Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone.

The body of Elizabeth II had been lying in rest in its oak coffin overnight in the city’s St Giles’ Cathedral. Tens of thousands of people had paid their last respects there, with demand to come so high that the queue had to be closed after noon.

Meanwhile, people packed into the historic streets of the city for the third day in a row to see the coffin leave the cathedral.

Carried out of the church to the sound of a lone piper, the hearse carrying the Queen’s coffin then departed for Edinburgh Airport. As it did, the crowd, who had gathered in numbers in the late afternoon sunshine, burst into applause.

The Princess Royal, accompanied by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, travelled behind her late mother in a separate car. Her journey mirrored that she made on Sunday, when she again travelled behind her mother as the Queen was brought down to the capital from Balmoral – where she had died peacefully on Thursday.

Honeymooners Steven and Elizabeth McCrite, from Orlando, Florida, were among those who paid their respects to the Queen during the period of lying in rest.

Mrs McCrite, 22, commented: ‘It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing, we’re not going to be able to do it again.’

Support worker Bethany Walker, 21, said she came straight from her nightshift to queue to pay her respects to the Queen.

‘It’s a historic event and we want to be there. It’s part of the history books,’ she said.

Duncan Wilson Paisley came from Stirlingshire wearing full Highland dress to pay his respects.

Mr Wilson Paisley served in the Royal Highlanders for 25 years and said he felt a particular ‘gratitude’to the Queen.

‘She was a wonderful lady for whom everybody has the utmost respect,’ he said.

Following the monarch’s death last Thursday, her body was transported to the Scottish capital on Sunday, lying at the Palace of Holyroodhouse before being taken to St Giles’ Cathedral on Monday.

There was a thanksgiving service at the church on Monday, attended by the King and other members of the royal family, before a motion of condolence was taken in the Scottish Parliament.

The new King then returned to St Giles’ together with the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex, where they stood in silence in a vigil beside their mother’s coffin.

People gathered in the rain along the A40 in hope of paying their respects to the Queen as she made her ‘last journey’ to Buckingham Palace.

On the roadside in Perivale, Beryl Dixon, 76, of Ealing, west London, arrived at about 5pm.

She said: ‘I’m here to pay my respects on her last journey before she gets to Westminster. There was no way I was going to stand for 30 hours to walk passed the coffin.

‘It was more important for me to see it, so this was the best for me. I did exactly the same thing for Diana.’

An 82-year-old man who watched the Queen’s coronation at a cinema as a boy was among scores of people standing in the lashing rain waiting to catch site of the state hearse.

David Stringer, a retired bus driver, of nearby Greenford, who was standing by the A40 outside the Hoover Building in Perivale, west London, said: ‘I saw her get coronated and now I am seeing her get buried. I lived in Epsom then and watched it at the Pathe News, as it was then, at the cinema.

‘The thing I remember more than anything else was the state coach because afterwards my dad brought me a model of it. The other outstanding memory was when I was at school and the headmaster came in and said ‘the King is dead’, I remember that like it was yesterday.

‘It’s a great shame. I mean, I didn’t think about her (the Queen) every day but I always knew she was there, and my life’s coming to a close now and her time has finished. But it will be interesting to see what Charles will be like, this is my third monarch now.’

Around 26,000 people filed past the late monarch’s coffin at St Giles’ Cathedral in the 24 hours since it was carried 1,200 yards up the Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse during a solemn military procession led by King Charles III and his grief-stricken siblings.

The Scottish Government said that the queue to view the late monarch – which wound down the Royal Mile, up George IV Bridge and past the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street – had closed at around 1pm and that further efforts were made to ensure all those already waiting would be able to pay their respects before the lying at rest in Edinburgh ended at 3pm.

Mourners described being ‘overwhelmed with the power and emotion of the occasion’ with many wiping away tears as they briefly stood in prayer looking at the coffin. Most bowed or curtseyed when they arrived. Dozens came to queue after travelling from England. Some came from London, believing that it would be easier to see her in Scotland with 30-hour queues predicted in the English capital.

Corey Burgher joined the very back of the queue with his stepdaughter Giovanna Giambastiani at 2.30am. He said: ‘We wanted to say our goodbyes to the boss. I’m in the military, I work on the submarines. Was surprised how much the news hit me. I didn’t know her personally, but I met her when I was a kid. I got quite emotional about it, it was quite a shock.’ 

Dawn Legge, from Manchester said: ‘I needed to come. We needed to pay our respects and mourn our Queen before we want to celebrate our King’. Catherine Gray, from London, said with tears in her eyes that she had made the 800-mile round trip because she felt ‘weird’ without Her Majesty in her life. She said seeing the coffin was ‘surreal’ and ‘one of the most emotional moments of my life’.

And one man in the Edinburgh queue said this morning: ‘If she could do 70 years, I can do 12 hours’. 

Hundreds filed past the casket last night when King Charles III and his three siblings staged a silent 10-minute vigil at the four corners of Her Majesty’s oak coffin. 

Mitch Stevenson, who queued for just under five hours with his sister, made it into the cathedral at just after 1am. He said: ‘It was a very important occasion for us – we lost our mum earlier this year and she would have loved to have been able to go, so we went for her memory also’.

Luke McIlwain, 34, joined the queue with his partner Felicity Baines, 31, at just after 3am. He said: ‘It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We might never see another Queen’. He said it was very cold, adding: ‘We wanted to join the line overnight to avoid the crowds – unsuccessfully’.

Mourners raced to central Edinburgh early this morning to pay their respects.

Those wanting to see the Queen’s coffin must first obtain a coloured wristband in George Square before they join the queue.

At 7am numbers had dwindled overnight so members of the public were able to walk to the cathedral doors almost uninterrupted.

But by 9am a steady flow footfall had grown but mourners had to wait no more than an hour.

Among those queuing were Tom and Jane Baker from York. Tom, 42, a security guard, explained: ‘We really wanted to pay our respects and it’s not that much longer to drive to Edinburgh than it is to London so we drove up last night. We stayed in a little hotel outside the city but we’re here now and hopefully we’ll get to take part in the vigil shortly.

‘The Queen has always been there for me. I was a Cub Scout, a Scout and I served in the British Army. This is the least I can do to serve my Queen.’

Jane, 38, added: ‘The Queen was a wonderful woman. Christmas Day will not be the same without the Queen’s Speech.’

People traveled from across Scotland, the UK and the Commonwealth to offer prayers to the Queen as she lay at rest.

Council workers Janet Mattheson and Danielle Gartland-Quinn got up early to did the monarch farewell before going to work this morning.

Janet, 55, from Edinburgh told MailOnline: ‘It felt very peaceful to be so close to the Queen and to see her for the last time.

‘There is a feeling of quiet serenity in the church. It was very moving to see her coffin with the crown.’

Danielle, 29, from Edinburgh, added: ‘It was very peaceful.’

Friends Jenny Baker and Cathie Paterson had traveled from the west coast of Scotland to pay their respects for the last time.

Jenny, 74, from Loch Lomond told MailOnline: ‘We are royalists and have always supported the monarchy.

‘So we decided to get up early this morning and vibe to pay our respects. She has been such a constant presence in our lives we wanted to say goodbye. She is being really well looked after and that was great to see.’

Cathie, 82, from the Isle of Lewis, said: ‘I have always followed the royal family and do I felt I had to come and pay my respects to the Queen. We are in Scotland but we will always fly the Union Jack.’

Amanda Rawlins and her family learned of the Queen’s death as the flew to London from Melbourne, Australia.

Amanda, 52, told MailOnline: ‘We were on the plane to London when we learned that the Queen had died. So we decided we wanted to come to Edinburgh to pay our respects to our monarch. We felt that this was a moment in history and we wanted to witness it first hand.

‘I was very impressed by the vigil – the sense of tradition, respect and love. It was so moving.’

Amanda was accompanied by her husband Shaun Kempton, 49 and children Ruby, 14, and Max, 12.

Sharon Baum, 53, and her partner Alison Evans, 50, were at the front of the queue yesterday, as members of the public paid personal tributes to the beloved monarch. 

The couple queued up for nearly 11 hours and told MailOnline of their extraordinary experience on an historic day at St Giles’ Cathedral. 

Mrs Baum, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire said: ‘It was really serene and peaceful and solemn. 

‘We feel so privileged to be allowed to see it and do what we did. 

‘We felt like we were involved in a little bit of history. 

‘You can’t prepare yourself for how you are going to feel when you go through the door. I knew I would be upset. 

‘As soon as you are there it brings it all home. We are really big Royalists. I shed a tear – several. I said a little prayer and bowed my head. We probably could have stayed a little bit longer.  There was nobody rushing you but there were so many people waiting. 

‘It was one of the most memorable and sad experiences of my life. I will remember it until my dying day. It was so emotional.’

The couple set off from their home at 10pm on Saturday and drove through to travel to Ballater near Balmoral at 5am as the Queen made her final journey from the castle. 

Last night the couple were returning home but are hoping to be in London for the Queen’s funeral.

Eleanor Wardrop, 72, and her twin sister Jennifer Davis were among the first in the queue arriving at 8am yesterday. 

The former executive PA said: ‘It was a priceless moment. It really was very, very special. It was completely serene, just so dignified and quiet. It was just so beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

‘People were taking their time, walking slowly. Men were saluting to the Queen, bowing to the Queen and the women were curtseying. 

‘I did a little curtsy as I went past. I was so glad that I was able to honour her in that way.

‘It was very quiet. There were two ministers on duty saying prayers as we walked through. It was very dignified. 

‘There were the archers standing there with their heads bowed and there were police guards as well.’

Describing the experience Eleanor said: ‘We wanted to come to the vigil to pay a personal tribute. We grew up with the Queen. She has been a constant in our lives. She was our true north. 

‘She took an oath and she stood by it her whole life. As a young woman she promised to do her duty and she did that right to the end. 

‘She was a remarkable woman and nobody else will ever be like her. She has been a role model to us all.’

Peter Binder, 60, travelled down with wife Georgina from the north of Scotland arriving at 7am. 

He said: ‘There were literally half a dozen people but that changed very quickly. It’s been a very long day but it has certainly been worthwhile.

‘There has been a very good spirit in the crowd. Everyone has got to know each other. We have been supporting each other and there has been a good camaraderie. I suppose we are proud British monarchists. It has been a very moving experience.’

It comes as King Charles III pledged to ‘seek the welfare’ of all Northern Ireland’s people and described how his family have felt their ‘sorrows’ as he praised his mother’s relationship with Northern Ireland.

Charles, who in 2015 made a pilgrimage to the site of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten’s murder in an IRA bombing, said the Queen had ‘never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and its people’.

Speaking at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down, the royal residence in Northern Ireland, the new monarch said the late Queen was aware of her position in bringing together divided communities ‘whom history had separated’.

Later, the King shook hands with the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins following a memorial service for the late Queen at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast.

The King, responding at Hillsborough Castle to a message of condolence on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland from Stormont Assembly speaker Alex Maskey, said: ‘Through all those years, she never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and for its people, whose stories she knew, whose sorrows our family had felt, and for whom she had a great affection and regard.

‘My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those whom history had separated, and in extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts.’

With his Queen Consort, Prime Minister Liz Truss and significant figures from Northern Ireland watching, the King said about the late Queen: ‘Now, with that shining example before me, and with God’s help, I take up my new duties resolved to seek the welfare of all the inhabitants of Northern Ireland.’

A momentous step forward in Anglo-Irish relations came in 2012 when the Queen shook hands with Martin McGuinness, the then-deputy first minister of Northern Ireland and a former IRA commander.

The late monarch had lost a member of her family in the Troubles, her cousin Lord Mountbatten, who had a close relationship with Charles.

The 79-year-old Lord Mountbatten was murdered on August 27 1979, when a bomb blew apart a boat at Mullaghmore in Co Sligo, on one of the most violent days in the history of the Troubles that saw 18 British troops die in an IRA ambush.

The Queen’s historic state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011 – the first by a British monarch since the Republic’s independence – was another milestone.

She visited significant locations such as Dublin’s Croke Park – the site of the 1920 Bloody Sunday massacre where British forces fired into the crowd at a football match, killing 14 spectators and players – and surprised and delighted the nation by speaking a few words of Gaelic at the start of her state dinner speech.

The speaker of the Stormont Assembly described how the Queen had been part of efforts to build peace in Ireland.

Mr Maskey said she had not been ‘a distant observer’ in the transformation and progress of relationships among the people of the country.

He said the monarch had ‘demonstrated how individual acts of positive leadership can help break down barriers and encourage reconciliation’.

Mr Maskey added: ‘She showed that a small and insignificant gesture – a visit, a handshake, crossing the street or speaking a few words of Irish – can make a huge difference in changing attitudes and building relationships.’

The Queen’s recognition of both British and Irish traditions, as well as the wider diversity of the community, was ‘exceptionally significant’, he said.

Mr Maskey added: ‘In all of this she personally underlined that one tradition is not diminished by reaching out to show respect to another.’

The controversial rulers heading to London to mourn the Queen: Brazil’s far-right populist leader Bolsonaro and Turkey’s Erdogan WILL go to funeral but Putin’s not invited…amid questions over if MBS, Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed or China’s Xi will attend

World leaders including Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern will be joined at the Queen’s funeral by Europe’s royals, Japan’s emperor and a cast of controversial statesmen including Jair Bolsonaro and Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The presence of Brazil’s right-wing populist President and Turkey’s authoritarian leader in London could spark protests that would widen if Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum are also invited to Britain.

As the world mourns Her Majesty’s death at the age of 96, the globe’s most powerful men and women are scrambling for seats on Monday amid limits on who can join the congregation of 2,000 VIPs.

500 world leaders, foreign dignitaries and heads of state including Mr Biden, Mr Macron and Emperor Naruhito will be at the historic service honouring Britain’s longest-reigning monarch – the first full State Funeral that Britain has hosted since Winston Churchill died in 1965. 

But Vladimir Putin has been snubbed along with his ally, Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko. Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar will also not be asked with no official stance yet on Syria’s Bashar al-Assad or North Korea’s Kim Jong-un – although they are highly unlikely to make the guest list because they rarely go abroad.

Iran’s Ayatollah and President won’t be asked to be in London – but an ambassador from the rogue state will be invited.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on who is on the guest list and when it will be finalised. 

It is not thought the trip will be made by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who took time out from organising his country’s fightback against Putin’s forces to sign a book of condolence for the Queen. 

China’s President Xi and India’s Narendra Modi are yet to confirm. Xi is considered unlikely to accept given he has not left the country for more than three years.

The octogenarian King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud will have received an invite but would be highly unlikely to attend due to his age and health.  

His son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the nation’s de facto leader who mixed with world leaders at the G20, could head to Britain in his place – a decision that would likely spark protests.

MBS is accused of ordering the murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. He vehemently denies the claims and said recently that that the journalist would not be among his top 1,000 targets to kill, ‘if that was how we did things’.

But US intelligence agencies concluded in a declassified intelligence report that the Saudi crown prince had approved the 2018 murder.

Her Majesty’s close friend Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai, is yet to confirm if he will attend.

Before her death, Her Majesty was under pressure to ditch him after the High Court found he was responsible for illegal UK phone hacking.

A senior judge concluded that Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the horse race-loving friend of the Royal Family and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, committed a ‘total abuse of trust and indeed an abuse of power’.

He previously orchestrated the armed kidnap of his runaway daughter Princess Shamsa from Cambridgeshire in 2000, persuading Tony Blair’s government to hush it up, the High Court heard. He also allegedly abducted her sister Princess Latifa when she too tried to flee.

But with the limit on numbers, it could be he is not asked because he is not technically a head of state – Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is leader of the United Arab Emirates and Sheikh Mohammed is his deputy.

Brazilian right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has accepted an invitation to attend the funeral, the country’s foreign ministry said, as has Turkey’s controversial president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

Heads of state and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life will be invited to gather in the abbey. Leading figures in Britain’s public life are set to attend her funeral next week, including Liz Truss and all her living predecessors. 

But with so many people wanting to go, invites are limited to one per VIP plus their spouse if they have one, but there is an ongoing row after the Government urged them to fly commercially and pool jets to get to the UK. There is also upset that many will be asked to jump on shuttle buses to the abbey rather than use state limousines or carriages. 

All of Europe’s kings and queens, as well as minor royals from the continent related to Her Majesty and Prince Philip, will be there, including King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Spain’s former king Juan Carlos will pause his self-imposed exile in Abu Dhabi to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.  Outside of Europe, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito will travel to London alongside Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, including New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern – whose journey across the world will take almost 24 hours – and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese.

Australia and New Zealand are also offering to share flights to allow Pacific leaders to travel together to London with Mr Albanese bring 10 ‘ordinary Aussies’ with him on the plane to the UK.

Joe Biden was the first to confirm his attendance yesterday – and the majority of world leaders from the King’s realms and the Commonwealth will be there. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain not to be there. Invites to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Moscow, Belarus and Myanmar, while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources said.

Invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace. This means that the Obamas and Donald Trump may miss out.

The Queen’s state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in central London at 11am on Monday. Senior members of the family are expected to follow behind – just like they did for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The military will line the streets and also join the procession. The service will be televised in the UK and around the globe.

It came as the Government, which is in charge of travel arrangements for the funeral, was forced to clarify its security arrangements for visiting world leaders.

Leaked documents suggested world leaders would be asked to travel to the funeral by bus for security reasons. The President usually travels in a limo nicknamed ‘the Beast’, which is bulletproof, bomb-proof and resistant to chemical attacks.

Yesterday Number 10 said that its directions were guidance, adding: ‘The arrangements for leaders and how they travel will vary depending on individual circumstances. Arrangements for different leaders will vary depending on things like security risks.’

The Foreign Office also encouraged leaders to use commercial flights, warning that Heathrow is ‘not available for private flight arrangements or aircraft parking’.

Those that insist on travelling by private jet should head for ‘less busy airports’ around London, it said. Helicopters have also been banned ‘due to the number of flights operating at this time’. 

After the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be taken to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for a televised committal service.

Later in the evening, there will be a private interment service with senior members of the royal family.

The Queen’s final resting place will be the King George VI memorial chapel, an annexe to the main chapel – where her mother and father were buried, along with the ashes of her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip’s coffin will move from the Royal Vault to the memorial chapel to join the Queen’s.

But there is a backlash over foreign leaders being ordered to travel to the ceremony by bus.

Invitations will be issued to heads of state and their wives – but invitations to other leaders, including former heads of state, will be at the discretion of Buckingham Palace.

Yesterday Number 10 said that the Government is taking the lead on travel arrangements, while the guest list is a matter for Buckingham Palace.

When asked if there was space for former heads of state such as Mr Trump, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said ‘space will be limited’.

The funeral is being held in Westminster Abbey at 11am on Monday, which has also been designated a bank holiday.

Leaders who have already confirmed their attendance include the prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the heads of state of Japan and South Korea.

US President Joe Biden said he will attend with his wife Jill, catching his White House staff off-guard as his predecessors declined to attend the last two state funerals in the UK – Winston Churchill’s in 1965 and George VI’s in 1952.

His attendance is expected to create an awkward decision for the Palace, who may wish to invite Mr Trump’s predecessors Michelle and Barack Obama.

Mrs Obama and the Queen developed a strong bond, despite the former president’s wife breaking royal protocol by placing her arm on the monarch’s back during their first meeting in 2009.

In a touching tribute to the Queen, the Obamas said her reign was ‘defined by grace, elegance, and a tireless work ethic’, adding she meant ‘a great deal’ to them, and remembered how she ‘welcomed them to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity’.

Former Tory leader Lord Hague said ‘of course’ there will be diplomacy at the Queen’s funeral.

But he said world leaders are coming to pay their respects to an ‘extraordinary head of state’ – and that is what ‘90% of it will be about’.

Asked if there will be politics at the funeral, he told Times Radio: ‘Of course there is some diplomacy – you can’t have that number of people together from around the world without them starting to say, ‘well, what do you think is happening in Ukraine?’ – of course there is going to be some of that.

‘Nevertheless, they’re coming because they want to pay their respects to this extraordinary head of state. And that is what 90% of it will be about.’

Yesterday Irish premier Micheal Martin confirmed he will travel to attend the Queen’s funeral, as well as a memorial service for the Queen in Belfast today.

European royal families are expected to be present, including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia.

Emperor Naruhito, the Oxford-educated leader of Japan, is expected to make the trip to the UK despite not usually attending funerals.

President Yoon of South Korea, President Steinmeier of Germany, President Bolsonaro, the right-wing leader of Brazil, and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, have also confirmed their attendance.

Other likely attendees will include President Macron of France and President Erdogan of Turkey.

Number 10 said there will be no bi-lateral meetings granted to visiting dignitaries, but King Charles III will host a reception for overseas leaders at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening.

After the state funeral service the following day, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will host a reception for political leaders in Dean’s Yard, in the grounds of the abbey.

European royals have confirmed their attendance at the Queen’s funeral on Monday.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will be among the 2,000 mourners expected at Westminster Abbey.  

Representatives from the Swedish, Danish and Monegasque royal families are also expected, according to royal blogger Gert’s Royals. 

Unlike the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021 – which was restricted to just 30 people – it is likely Westminster Abbey’s 2,000 capacity will be filled to capacity in honour Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.

The funeral congregation will be headed by the new King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, while William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, will follow closely.

The Queen’s other three children, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew, and Princess Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, will also be among the chief mourners.

It is expected all eight of the Queen’s grandchildren will be present, including Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her spouse Jack Brooksbank, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

The Queen’s nephew Lord Snowdon and niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto are also anticipated to be there.

Other monarchs likely to be in attendance at the Queen’s funeral include King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco.

Other possible guests are the former King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece – who was deposed in 1973.

The confirmation of foreign royals at the Queen’s funeral comes shortly after they paid tribute to the monarch online. 

Following her death King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain paid tribute to their distant relative with a heartfelt statement.

The Spanish Royal Family echoed sentiments from the Dutch and Swedish royals in praising the Queen’s sense of duty to her country throughout her historic 70-year reign.Posting a letter to King Charles III on the Casa Real Twitter account, King Felipe said he would ‘dearly’ miss his Aunt Lilibet, a figure he held close.