Funeral snub to Russia over Ukraine
And no invitation for Belarus and Myanmar... but Australia gets 12
BUCKINGHAM Palace will block Russia and Belarus from attending the Queen’s funeral because of the war in Ukraine – while Australia will get a dozen invitations as part of an anti-republican charm offensive.
The leader of Myanmar will also be excluded following the coup by the country’s military chiefs last year.
Iran will be represented only by its ambassador, but other strongman leaders including Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro will be among 500 dignitaries from around the world heading to London to pay their respects.
Invitations were sent over the weekend to the heads of state of nations with diplomatic relations with the UK, plus one guest. But Russian president Vladimir Putin, his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko and Myanmar’s military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing won’t be among the 2,000strong congregation at Westminster Abbey. Whitehall sources described Monday’s funeral as ‘the biggest international event we have hosted in decades’, and compared the logistical task to organising ‘hundreds of state visits’ within a matter of days.
The event will be used by the Palace to launch a charm offensive in Australia in a bid to curb rising republican sentiment following Her Majesty’s death. Ten ‘ordinary’ Australians will travel to the ceremony with prime minister Anthony Albanese and governor-general David Hurley, a move which has made headlines there.
In 1999, Australians voted to keep the Queen as their head of state by a margin of 55 to 45 per cent. But within hours of her death on Thursday, Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt said it was time ‘move forward’ and become a republic.
Mr Albanese has said previously the country needs an Australian head of state. But he has now said he will not hold a referendum during his first term – due to end by 2025 – as a mark of respect, sparking a public relations war to win the hearts of the Australian people.
Antigua and Barbuda prime minister Gaston Browne has already announced plans to hold a referendum on becoming a republic within the next three years.
No official guest list for the funeral has yet been published, but many world leaders have confirmed their attendance.
US President Joe Biden was among the first, followed by New Zealand prime minis
ter Jacinda Ardern and her Canadian and Australian counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Mr Albanese. Other presidents to have confirmed their attendance are France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italy’s Sergio Mattarella, along with the European Commission’s Ursula von der Leyen.
King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia, are among the European royals who will attend. Emperor Naruhito of Japan is also expected, in what would be his first overseas trip since ascending the throne in 2019. But it is not thought that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend.
Downing Street refused to comment on reports that world leaders will be bussed to Westminster Abbey.