Queen's funeral: Who will and won't be there

The event is set to be one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and major world leaders held in the UK for decades.

It is understood more 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries are expected to attend, with invitations to the Queen’s funeral being sent out last weekend.

The Westminster Abbey ceremony will see 2,200 people in attendance.

This is who has already been invited to the event.

Who has been invited to the Queen’s funeral?

No guest list has been published yet, but US President Joe Biden was among the first to declare he will be flying in with his wife, Jill.

PA (Image: PA)

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 journey with a delegation of five others.

Her Canadian and Australian counterparts, Justin Trudeau and Anthony Albanese, have also confirmed their presence.

Mr Albanese announced that he will not be travelling alone, tweeting that at Buckingham Palace’s invitation, he and Governor-General David Hurley will be accompanied by “10 Australians who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities”.

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 attending, 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 to travel to London in what would be his first overseas trip since ascending the throne in 2019.

Who hasn’t been invited to the Queen’s funeral?

Invitations were sent over the weekend to the heads of state of nations with which the UK has diplomatic relations. For most countries, that means the head of state plus one guest.

PA (Image: PA)

However, invites were not dispatched to the leaders of Russia – which is continuing its onslaught on Ukraine, Belarus – which has supported its neighbour in the invasion, and Myanmar – where the military seized power in a coup last year.

The Queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall from Wednesday to Monday, when her coffin will be taken in procession from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of the capital during the funeral.