Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
The list of invitees was probably drawn up some years ago and it is rather interesting.
For example, all living Victoria Cross awardees are invited, causing some Australian eyebrows to be raised about one particular man. He is under a cloud as a possible war criminal but innocent until proven guilty. Nevertheless tongues will wag.
Heads of state from just about every country are coming. For countries like Australia that means the governor general as the Queen's official representatives plus the prime ministers as the leaders of her parliaments. Wives and husbands are also included.
President Biden will attend although past presidents did not attend the last two state funerals in Britain — for George VI in 1952, and Winston Churchill in 1965.
European royal families are also expected to be present, including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia. Emperor Naruhito will travel to London, a rare gesture for the Japanese monarch who does not usually attend funerals. The only other time it has happened was when Naruhito’s father, the now retired Emperor Akihito, attended the funeral of King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.
President Xi, who will be in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week, has not said whether he will come, although insiders suggest this is unlikely. I suspect that Putin is not on the list of invitees.
Australia and New Zealand are engaging in soft diplomacy to ferry Pacific leaders to London for the funeral. Prime Minister Albanese said arrangements were being finalised between the Royal Australian Air Force and Pacific nations so that leaders could fly together to the UK. “We want to make sure that no nation in our region, in the Pacific, as part of the Pacific family, is unable to attend the memorial service for Queen Elizabeth because of logistical concerns”. Concerns have been raised about Pacific leaders all being in one plane but that will not happen. The RAAF and NZAF have plenty of planes to be used for this purpose.
Details have been gleaned from the Twitter feed of The Times and Sunday Times - (3) The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) / Twitter
For example, all living Victoria Cross awardees are invited, causing some Australian eyebrows to be raised about one particular man. He is under a cloud as a possible war criminal but innocent until proven guilty. Nevertheless tongues will wag.
Heads of state from just about every country are coming. For countries like Australia that means the governor general as the Queen's official representatives plus the prime ministers as the leaders of her parliaments. Wives and husbands are also included.
President Biden will attend although past presidents did not attend the last two state funerals in Britain — for George VI in 1952, and Winston Churchill in 1965.
European royal families are also expected to be present, including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia. Emperor Naruhito will travel to London, a rare gesture for the Japanese monarch who does not usually attend funerals. The only other time it has happened was when Naruhito’s father, the now retired Emperor Akihito, attended the funeral of King Baudouin of Belgium in 1993.
President Xi, who will be in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this week, has not said whether he will come, although insiders suggest this is unlikely. I suspect that Putin is not on the list of invitees.
Australia and New Zealand are engaging in soft diplomacy to ferry Pacific leaders to London for the funeral. Prime Minister Albanese said arrangements were being finalised between the Royal Australian Air Force and Pacific nations so that leaders could fly together to the UK. “We want to make sure that no nation in our region, in the Pacific, as part of the Pacific family, is unable to attend the memorial service for Queen Elizabeth because of logistical concerns”. Concerns have been raised about Pacific leaders all being in one plane but that will not happen. The RAAF and NZAF have plenty of planes to be used for this purpose.
Details have been gleaned from the Twitter feed of The Times and Sunday Times - (3) The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) / Twitter
