The event promises to be historic. On Monday, several million people around the world will follow the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8. On the spot, in London, tens of thousands of Britons wait for many hours to pay their last respects to the sovereign by praying before her coffin in Westminster Hall.
Trudeau and Albanese already present
A historical fact, exceptional public. For the occasion, most of the world’s heads of state plan to make the trip. This Saturday afternoon, US President Joe Biden flew to the British capital. For his part, Emmanuel Macron should head to Great Britain on Sunday at the end of the day.
This Saturday, several top leaders were already present in London. This is the case of the Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and his wife, Sophie Trudeau, who were able to sign the book of condolences at Lancaster House, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Also this Saturday morning, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also signed the book with his wife Jodie Haydon.
For the occasion, the latter is accompanied by ten guests who have made “extraordinary contributions to their communities and who represent Australian culture and values”, recalls the daily mail.
Representatives from Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, two Commonwealth countries and Papua New Guinea also arrived in London.
Attendance and absence
Another long-awaited arrival in the coming hours is that of Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, a couple making their first trip to British soil since taking power in 2019.
According to the British newspaper, this measure is extremely symbolic because, in Japanese culture, a Japanese emperor does not attend the funerals of people other than his own parents because death is considered impure.
Instead, neither Vladimir Putin nor any leader or representative of Russia or Belarus were invited. The Russian president had already taken the initiative since his spokeswoman, Dmitry Peskov, had declared that “the option of a trip was not considered.”
Source: BFM TV
