The service will take place at Westminster Abbey from 11am and members of the public are expected to line the streets of London as the late monarch’s coffin is carried to the service. King Charles III has issued an order making the day of the Queen’s funeral a public holiday in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Westminster Abbey can accommodate a congregation of around 2,000 people, with heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royalty and key public figures all in attendance. See who we know will be performing at the Queen’s funeral. Who will attend the Queen’s funeral from the United Kingdom? Her Majesty’s funeral will be attended by members of the royal family, including King Charles III and the Queen, Camilla. The King’s siblings: The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex will attend and be accompanied by their respective partners. The newly crowned Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also appear at the state funeral, along with many of the Queen’s other grandchildren. In addition, Prime Minister Liz Truss and her living predecessors will attend the proceedings at Westminster Abbey. The Queen’s remarkable life was recalled in our latest episode of What You Need To Know. Who will attend the Queen’s funeral from abroad? Around 500 dignitaries from around the world are expected to descend on London to pay their last respects to the long-reigning monarch. Invitations were sent over the weekend to heads of state with whom the UK has diplomatic relations. For most nations, the invitation is extended to the head of state, as well as a guest. US President Joe Biden was among the first to say he would fly to London with his wife, Jill Biden. Mr Biden is understood to be allowed to take the heavily armored presidential car, known as the Beast, while other leaders will have to take the bus. The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern making the nearly 24-hour trip on Wednesday. He is traveling with a delegation of compatriots “from different walks of life”, including Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia, former Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright, Victoria Cross for New Zealand Bill Apiata and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Don McKinnon. Joe Biden was one of the first to say he would attend the Queen’s funeral. Credit: AP Her counterparts from Canada and Australia, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese, confirmed their presence. Mr Albanese announced he would not be traveling alone, tweeting that at the invitation of the Palace he and Governor-General David Harley would be accompanied by 10 “everyday” Australians who have “made an outstanding contribution to their communities”. The party will include horse racing trainer Chris Waller and wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott. Mr Albanese said he would also travel along with four Pacific Commonwealth of Nations leaders to the Queen’s funeral. The respective leaders of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea accepted Australia’s offer to assist with the transport to London. The delegation will fly to the UK on Thursday evening. Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed that he and President Michael D Higgins will attend the Queen’s funeral. France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italy’s Sergio Mattarella, Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro are among the presidents to attend, along with the European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen. Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI of Spain are expected to attend the Queen’s funeral. Credit: Kirsty O’Connor/PA Other presidents who have accepted invitations include Finland’s Sauli Niinisto, Austria’s Alexander Van der Bellen, Lithuania’s Gitanas Nauseda, Sri Lanka’s Ranil Wickremesinghe, South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol and Poland’s Andrzej Duda, according to Reuters. Hungarian President Katalin Nova is expected to attend the meeting, along with Latvian President Paula-Mae Weekes. Charles Michel, President of the European Council is also expected to travel to London for the ceremony. Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Israeli President Isaac Herzog are expected to attend. ‘Monarchy unites us’, crowds gather in Belfast to greet King Charles III King Felipe of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia are among the European Royals to attend. Royals from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are also expected to travel to London for the Queen’s funeral. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has announced that he will travel to London in what will be his first trip abroad since ascending to the throne in 2019. He will attend the service with Empress Masako. Who won’t attend the Queen’s funeral? Invitations to the queen’s state funeral have not been sent to Russia, Belarus or Myanmar, while Iran will only be represented at ambassadorial level, Whitehall sources told the PA. Also, it is not believed that the trip will be made by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Earlier this week, Zelensky took time out from organizing his country’s opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces to sign a book of condolence for the queen. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are yet to confirm their participation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to attend the queen’s funeral. Credit: AP When will the world leaders arrive for the Queen’s funeral? Many of the heads of state attending the late sovereign’s funeral are expected to arrive in the UK by Sunday 18 September. King Charles III will host a reception for all foreign leaders at Buckingham Palace the night before the funeral. They can then attend the Queen’s coffin lying in state, before signing the book of condolence at Lancaster House. How will the Queen’s funeral be? Once the service at Westminster Abbey has concluded, the Queen’s coffin will be carried in procession to Wellington Arch. From there, the coffin will then be taken to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, for a solemn ceremony. Later in the evening, the Queen will be buried privately in King George VI’s St George’s Chapel – an annex to the main church.
