London begins to welcome heads of state and crowned presidents

The The funeral of the centuryQueen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, is preparing to welcome several crowned presidents and heads of state from around the world on Monday. And London has already begun, a few days ago, to welcome many of these distinguished guests, among them US President Joe Biden, who landed on Saturday evening near the capital and was placed under strict surveillance.

The White House tenant and his wife must go to prayer this Sunday at 5 pm GMT in front of the king’s remains, which are still on display 24 hours a day to the public in the British capital. It is not known if Westminster Hall will be evacuated for the occasion to ensure the safety of the US president. During periods of awakening observed by members of the royal family or other heads of state, the flow of visitors did not stop.

Sunday evening reception at Buckingham Palace

Joe Biden will attend a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening for the dignitaries in attendance.

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For the King, the diplomatic ball kicked off Saturday with representatives from 14 other Commonwealth kingdoms, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Macron, Erdogan, Bolsonaro, Mohammed bin Salman…

London is frantically preparing for this event, which will attract distinguished guests to the capital, including, in addition to the US president, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel. .

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Japanese Emperor Naruhito on his first trip abroad since assuming the throne in 2019, or even Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known as “MBS”, will also come.

Prince of Monaco, Philip VI of Spain…

Several crowned presidents have been invited, such as Prince Albert of Monaco or King Felipe VI of Spain, as well as his father, Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in 2014 and is now living in exile in the United Arab Emirates. Westminster Abbey, where the funeral will take place at 10am BST on Monday, can seat 2,000 people.

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For the police, the event promises to be even more pressing than the 2012 Olympics. But the protocol has been seen and revised for many years and the Royal Forces tirelessly repeat the course in the streets.

Open to the public until Monday morning at 06:30 (05:30 GMT) to honor Elizabeth II, the final farewell in contemplation, and sometimes tears, of the Queen who became a symbol of unity and stability during her reign, Dr. Record length in UK history.

Elizabeth II will be buried in private at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, west London, with her father, King George VI, and her husband, Prince Philip.