The Queen's Funeral
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No private jets, no helicopters, and a bus to Westminster Abbey: VIP guidance for queen’s funeral revealed
Foreign heads of state and their spouses heading to London for the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II have been asked to arrive in the U.K. on commercial flights and banned from using helicopters to get around.
World leaders have also been told they cannot use their own state cars to attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19 — and will instead be bussed in en masse from a site in west London.
“Can you imagine Joe Biden on the bus?” one foreign ambassador based in London complained via WhatsApp message early Sunday.
Official documents obtained by POLITICO also confirm that only the heads of state and their spouses or partners from each country have been invited to attend the funeral, which is shaping up to be one of the most significant international events hosted by the U.K. in recent times.
“Where possible,” the FCDO advised, foreign leaders should arrive in the U.K. on commercial flights, warning that London Heathrow airport will not be available for private flight arrangements or aircraft parking. Those leaders insisting on traveling by private jet should head for “less busy airports” around London, the FCDO added.
The use of helicopter transfers between airports and venues has been banned “due to the number of flights operating at this time,” the department said.
And in a message all-too-familiar to weary passengers using U.K. airports this year, the FCDO also warned that “unforeseen events may require commercial and private flights to divert from the intended airport of arrival.”
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The Royal Regiment of Scotland accompanied Her Majesty The Queen’s coffin Procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.
In a Mercedes...
@George-K said in The Queen's Funeral:
In a Mercedes...
Well, she is a former member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
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This is royally priceless:
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the decision not to invite Russia was "particularly blasphemous" toward Queen Elizabeth's memory.
"We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country...as deeply immoral," Zakharova said in a statement.
https://www.rferl.org/a/britain-snub-russia-queen-funeral-deeply-immoral/32036308.html
Note: It is the Foreign Office that issues the invitations not the Palace.
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This is royally priceless:
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the decision not to invite Russia was "particularly blasphemous" toward Queen Elizabeth's memory.
"We see this British attempt to use the national tragedy, which has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country...as deeply immoral," Zakharova said in a statement.
https://www.rferl.org/a/britain-snub-russia-queen-funeral-deeply-immoral/32036308.html
Note: It is the Foreign Office that issues the invitations not the Palace.
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@Renauda said in The Queen's Funeral:
This is royally priceless:
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the decision not to invite Russia was "particularly blasphemous" toward Queen Elizabeth's memory.
Still it beggars belief that the Russians cannot connect FSB polonium and Novichok poisonings on British soil and an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine do not somehow influence the decision to snub Putin and his emissaries from attending the state funeral.
On the other hand there is also a precedent not to invite undesirables to state events as this funeral or even royal weddings. In 1947 Prince Philip’s sisters were not invited to the royal wedding being that their German aristocrat husbands had served in the Wehrmacht in WWII.
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@George-K said in The Queen's Funeral:
Twitter needs to hide the video of somebody falling because it may be upsetting to some viewers? Really?
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Still it beggars belief that the Russians cannot connect FSB polonium and Novichok poisonings on British soil and an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine do not somehow influence the decision to snub Putin and his emissaries from attending the state funeral.
On the other hand there is also a precedent not to invite undesirables to state events as this funeral or even royal weddings. In 1947 Prince Philip’s sisters were not invited to the royal wedding being that their German aristocrat husbands had served in the Wehrmacht in WWII.
@Renauda said in The Queen's Funeral:
On the other hand there is also a precedent not to invite undesirables to state events as this funeral or even royal weddings.
Yes. The Twitter mob is going certifiably (more) insane that Trump was not invited, but was "only" invited to the US memorial service.
“Trump invited to US service for Queen Elizabeth II after being snubbed from funeral”
“Donald Trump to be invited to Washington service for Queen Elizabeth after not making funeral guest list” at The Telegraph.
“Donald Trump potentially snubbed for the Queen’s funeral after the Bidens receive two invites”. - Business Insider.
You know who else wasn't invited, not that you'd know it from the headlines?
- Obama
- Bush 43
- Clinton
- Carter