London, United Kingdom

At one of the largest gatherings in Britain, the country prepares for the historic state funeral of the oldest monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, as King Charles III prepares to host world leaders.

Advertisment

Hundreds of thousands of people have flocked to witness the Queen's coffin lying in state at the British Parliament following her death on September 8 at the age of 96, after seven decades on the throne.

At the age of 73, Charles is the oldest monarch to ever succeed on the throne. On Sunday evening, he will be hosting dozens of foreign leaders visiting for the Queen's funeral, AFP reported.

Also read | LIVE | Queen Elizabeth II's funeral updates | World leaders start arriving for the Queen's state funeral

Advertisment

The funeral will be attended by world leaders across the globe, from US President Joe Biden and Indian President Droupadi Murmu to French President Emmanuel Macron, Brunei's sultan, and others.

×

From Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Polish President Andrzej Duda are some of the leaders who'll be attending the funeral. 

Advertisment

Olena Zelensky, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's wife, will also be attending the Queen's funeral on Monday (September 19). However, the president won't be attending the funeral. 

Asian leaders attending the funeral include the Indian President, Dropaudi Murmu, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe; and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol will be attending the funeral. 

×

Also read | Queen Elizabeth II carved her own role as solitary woman in a man's world, says Camilla

Royal attendees include the Japanese Emperor and Empress Masako, the Sultan of Brunei, the Sultan of Oman, the Jordanian King Abdullah, and the Crown Prince of Kuwait. 

This is the first overseas excursion taken by the Japanese Emperor Naruhito since ascending the throne in 2019. It is very unusual for a Japanese emperor to attend a funeral as it is considered impure, but this clearly shows the close ties between the two royal families.

US President Joe Biden and Indian President Droupadi Murmu have already landed in London for the funeral, offering their condolences to the royal family and the country.

Leaders, including Jacinda Ardern and Anthony Albanese, have already paid their respects at Westminster Hall.

×

However, the Royal House has not extended the invitation to several countries as well. Reportedly, Russia, Belarus, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela have not been invited to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, scheduled to take place today.

Meanwhile, only the envoys of North Korea, Iran and Nicaragua have been sent an invite.  

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE