Who is going to the Queen’s funeral? Joe Biden and royals heading to Westminster Abbey

World leaders including US President Joe Biden, New Zealand’s Prime Minister and Jacinda Ardern and Brazil’s premier Jair Bolsonaro will be heading to London for the Queen’s funeral next week to join the majority of Europe’s royals and even Japan’s emperor in mourning Her Majesty’s passing.

The globe’s most powerful men and women are scrambling for seats at Westminster Abbey on Monday amid limits on who can join the congregation of 2,000 honouring Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who died aged 96 last Thursday.

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.

Outside of Europe, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito will travel to London alongside Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. 

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. Of the globe’s largest and most influential states, on China’s President Xi and India’s Narendra Modia are yet to confirm. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is certain not to be there. Invites to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Russia, 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 forced 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 annex 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.

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.

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.