Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex watch as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on a gun carriage ahead of the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England.
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Hundreds of global dignitaries gathered in London on Monday to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, marking a level of ceremony unseen in the U.K. for decades.
A congregation of around 500 kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents arrived in London over the weekend to pay their respects to the late queen.
On Sunday, many of them visited Westminster Abbey, where she had been lying in state, before going on to a reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the king and queen consort.
Britain’s longest-serving monarch is being laid to rest Monday, 11 days after she died at Balmoral Castle aged 96.
In all, the funeral is expected to be attended by around 2,000 guests. The guest list has not been confirmed, but here’s what we know about who was — and wasn’t — in attendance, according to BBC reports.
The royal family
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla were front and center of the ceremony, walking behind the queen’s coffin. They were followed by the rest of the royal family, including the queen’s other three children — Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — and their spouses.
Britain’s King Charles III waves as he’s driven down the Mall in London on September 19, 2022, ahead of the State Funeral Service of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. – Leaders from around the world will attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The country’s longest-serving monarch, who died aged 96 after 70 years on the throne, will be honoured with a state funeral on Monday morning at Westminster Abbey. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP) (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Prince of Wales, William, and his brother Prince Harry were in attendance with their wives, Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Meghan. They were joined by the queen’s other grandchildren — Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara Tindall, Peter Phillips, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn — and their partners.
It is unclear how many of the queen’s 12 great-grandchildren would be there. However, Prince George and Princess Charlotte — now second and third in line to the throne, respectively — were in attendance.
Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were among others there.
World leaders
Alongside British prime ministers past and present, leaders from the Commonwealth — of which the queen served as head for all of her reign — were present.
They included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
President of United States Joe Biden and Jill Biden arrive for the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on September 19, 2022 in London, England.
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Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, were in attendance. Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, the current chair of the Commonwealth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe were also expected to be there.
U.S. President Joe Biden was in attendance alongside first lady Jill Biden. They were joined by Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin and President Michael Higgins, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
Other royalty
Royal families from across Europe, many of whom share blood relations with the queen, were also in attendance.
They included Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, the Netherlands’ King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Maxima. King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain was also there, alongside the royal families of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Monaco.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and his wife Empress Masako arrive at Westminster Abbey in London on September 19, 2022, for the State Funeral Service for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
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Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan also attended, alongside the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Other guests included royal leaders from Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Tonga.
Not attending
Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly received an invitation though he was not present. China was instead by represented by a small delegation including Vice President Wang Qishan.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smiles as he arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 28, 2022 for a meeting with the French President.
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Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and de facto leader, Mohammed Bin Salman, was also invited but did not attend, Reuters reported. The ruler has been accused by Western intelligence agencies of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, accusations he has denied.
Representatives from Russia were not invited following the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. No representatives from Belarus or Myanmar were invited either.
Representatives from Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were also not invited, according to the BBC. That is because the U.K. does not have full diplomatic relations with those countries.
Correction: Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the funeral. An earlier version misspelled their names.
