London is feverishly preparing for the first public funeral since Winston Churchill in 1965. The ceremony is attracting distinguished guests to the British capital.
Kings, heads of state and government and other dignitaries from around the world are beginning to flock to London ahead of the funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on Monday morning.
Among them, US President Joe Biden, who arrived on Saturday night accompanied by his wife Jill. On Sunday afternoon the US presidential couple will pay their respects to the body of Elizabeth II, which is still on display for public pilgrimage until Monday morning. It is not clear whether Westminster Hall will be evacuated for the occasion, but security measures for the US president are draconian.
Joe Biden will attend a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening in honor of dignitaries.
London is feverishly preparing for the first public funeral since Winston Churchill in 1965. The ceremony is attracting distinguished guests to the British capital. They stand out among them – in addition to US President Joe Biden – French President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. Also in attendance will be Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito (on his first trip abroad since ascending the throne in 2019) and Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Also invited are crowned heads such as Prince Albert of Monaco, King Felipe of Spain and his father, Juan Carlos – who abdicated in 2014 and lives in exile in the United Arab Emirates.
Westminster Abbey, where the funeral will take place at 11 am (local time, 13:00 Greek time) on Monday, can accommodate 2,000 people.
The police have planned draconian security measures, stricter than those for the 2012 Olympics held in London.
Meanwhile on Saturday it was announced by the British Ministry of Culture that the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be shown on Monday in 125 cinemas across Britain. Entry to cinemas to watch the funeral is free, but most seats were already booked by Thursday. At the same time, giant screens have been set up in parks, squares and cathedrals to show the ceremony.
The government declared a public holiday on Monday for the funeral, which is expected to draw larger crowds than most major events in modern British history: the funeral of the late Princess Diana in 1997, the 2012 London Olympics or royal weddings .
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
