Many arrived by bus, having been taken there from a meeting point in Chelsea, with most waiting at Westminster Abbey for more than an hour before the Queen’s coffin arrived, having been carried there by carriage from Westminster Hall. Mr Biden arrived at the abbey in his bomb-proof limousine, along with his wife Jill, and was welcomed by the rector of Westminster Abbey. Image: Joe Biden arrives for the Queen’s funeral Mr. Biden sat 14 rows back in the south aisle behind the Polish leader and in front of the leader of the Czech Republic. The First Lady sat next to the Swiss delegation. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Canadian counterparts Justin Trudeau and Australia’s Anthony Albanese were also seen watching the coffin being carried into Westminster Abbey at the start of the state funeral, the first in the UK since 1965 when Winston Churchill surrendered. the price. Image: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with her partner Clarke Gayford Irish President Michael Higgins, EU Council President Charles Michel and Croatian President Moran Milanovic were also there, along with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal Herzog. China’s Vice President Wang Qishan was also seen at the abbey, attending as a special representative of President Xi Jinping, despite concerns over China’s treatment of the Uyghur people. Image: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau Mr. Biden didn’t stay long. By 1.30pm, while the Queen’s coffin was still on its way to Windsor, it was announced that she had left London. The positions in the church are as follows:

  1. Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia2. Brigitte Macron, wife of Emmanuel Macron3. Emmanuel Macron, President of France4. Joe Biden, President of the USA5. Charles Michel, President of the Council of the EU6. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada7. Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland8. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission9. Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand World royals Also in attendance were Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako – the first time the couple have left the country since the start of the pandemic. Traditionally, Japanese emperors stay away from funerals, except for their parents, due to cultural beliefs in the Shinto religion that view death as impure. Image: Emperor Naruhito of Japan and Empress Masako of Japan (front) Image: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix Image: King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia One of the first royals to arrive was Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who at age 19 represented his father, King Mohammed VI. Many of the other European royal families were also present, with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix and Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia among those who joined the congregation. Among those who attended, as seen in the image above, were:
  2. Margaret of Romania2. Marie-Sadal, Princess of Greece3. Crown Prince of Greece Pavlos4. Princess Charlene of Monaco5. Prince Albert of Monaco6. Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg7. Grand Duke Henry of Luxembourg8. Queen Mathilde of Belgium9. King Philip of Belgium10. King Harald of Norway11. Queen Sonia of Norway12. Sophia of Spain13. Juan Carlos I of Spain14. Queen Letizia of Spain15. King Felipe of Spain16. Beatrice of Holland17. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands18. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands19. Queen Silvia of Sweden20. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden21. Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:16 Among the attendees was an actor who starred in the sitcom “Peep Show” How did they all get there? The first foreign leaders had arrived in three coaches that pulled up outside Westminster Abbey and contained dozens of dignitaries from countries around the world. As they disembarked and made their way to the abbey, a bell tolled every minute to mark 96 years of the Queen’s life. Around the same time, a convoy of black Range Rovers, flanked by police, drove through central London. Image: Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (center) Biden’s car pulled into traffic as the US president headed to Westminster Abbey. Footage shared on social media shows the armored vehicle, nicknamed the Beast, being held up outside a Pret a Manger restaurant near Marble Arch, about 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) from Westminster Abbey, some after 8 am. Many of the foreign dignitaries arrived at the Abbey from the Royal Chelsea Hospital, where they had been gathering since about 7.30am. Image: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with his partner Jodie Haydon The participating leaders were among about 500 others from nearly 200 countries and territories. They included almost 100 presidents and heads of government and more than 20 royals, according to a Foreign and Commonwealth Office source. Officials arriving for the Queen’s funeral – live updates Image: Michael D Higgins with his wife Sabina The only countries not invited were Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan. Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua were to be represented at the ambassadorial level. The funeral was broadcast live in more than 200 countries and was said to be one of the most watched events in television history. The leaders were among 2,000 people who gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the Queen. UK politicians All living former UK Prime Ministers, including Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major, joined, shortly before current Prime Minister Liz Truss, who delivered a lesson. Pictured: (left to right, front) Former Prime Ministers David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron, Theresa May and Philip May Ms Truss, who attended with her husband Hugh O’Leary, met leaders including Mr Albanese and Ms Ardern at her temporary Chevening country home on Saturday and other leaders in Downing Street on Sunday. Among the first notables to join the church were Michael and Carole Middleton, two of the grandparents of second-in-line to the throne, Prince George, as well as several members of the government and other senior politicians, such as the leader of Labour’s Sir Kir. Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. Ahead of the arrival of the royal family, who followed the casket as it was carried from Westminster Hall, the abbey was silent except for the distant sound of the tenor bell and the footsteps of guests still taking their seats until the start. of operation approached. Large parts of Chelsea were closed as world leaders arrived at the Royal Chelsea Hospital. With few exceptions, heads of state, prime ministers and ambassadors arrived at the hospital where they gathered before heading to the abbey by coach amid tight security. Image: Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton Police blocked access to the streets around the hospital, home to Chelsea pensioners, some of whom had to walk to Westminster. Cyclists, joggers and dog walkers were turned away and headed back towards Sloane Square from the police offices at around 7.30am. A line of cars with tinted windows and diplomatic plates then arrived, along with police convoys of SUVs, sweeping down Lower Sloane Street to a checkpoint next to Turk’s Row. There was a clear order of attendance, with presidents and prime ministers arriving first, followed by foreign royals and finally the group from China. Image: Joe Biden in his armored limousine The first guests began to arrive at the abbey shortly after 8am, with the first to enter through the east gate. A number of dignitaries, including Presidents Macron and Biden, had earlier joined mourners to view the Queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall. The operation to keep dignitaries and the hundreds of thousands of members of the public in the capital safe to watch the coffin pass is one of the biggest security operations ever planned by the Metropolitan Police. It surpasses the operation for the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the London 2012 Olympics, which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty each day.