/ File P.A French President Emmanuel Macron will be among world leaders in London on Monday for the Queen’s funeral as he spoke of the “unbreakable” ties between his country and the UK. Macron said he spoke to the king on Wednesday to express his and his country’s condolences, promising to “strengthen” the relationship between the UK and France by “following in the path” of the late queen. The state funeral will see several hundred dignitaries from around the world in London to pay their last respects to the Queen, in one of the UK’s biggest logistical and diplomatic events in decades. They will join members of the royal family, past and present British prime ministers and key figures in public life at Westminster Abbey – the historic church which can seat around 2,000 people – at 11am on Monday. Mr Macron tweeted: “In a telephone conversation with His Majesty King Charles III last night, I expressed France’s condolences on the death of his mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I will attend the funeral in London on Monday. “The ties between France and the United Kingdom are unbreakable. We will continue to strengthen them, following the path set by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” No guest list has yet been released, but US President Joe Biden was among the first to say he would fly with his wife, Jill. The leaders of most Commonwealth countries are expected to attend, with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying she will make the nearly 24-hour trip with a delegation of five others. Her counterparts from Canada and Australia, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese, confirmed their presence. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro are among those in attendance, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. King Felipe of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia are among the European royals to attend. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito is also due to travel to London in what would be his first trip abroad since ascending to the throne in 2019. Prime Minister Liz Truss is not expected to hold formal bilateral meetings with world leaders during the mourning period, but the funeral is still likely to provide an opportunity for some informal talks with allies. The Times reported Thursday that the prime minister is expected to hold one-on-one talks with Biden and other allies when they gather in London. Mrs Truss, who during the campaign to become Tory leader sparked controversy by saying the jury is out on whether Macron is “friend or foe”, may now have the chance for her first face-to-face conversation face to face with the French leader. since he became prime minister. There has also been speculation that Ms Truss could speak to Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin on the sidelines of the funeral, amid strained relations between the two countries over the ongoing dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol. 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, it is understood.
