Londra and the world in mourning for the funeral of Elizabeth II. For the whole day today will be held a direct broadcast to unified networks on all the main British TV chains: from Bbc, Itv to Sky News. The reporters are on video from the early hours of this morning, dressed in black as a sign of mourning.
Approximately five hundred world leaders and spouses are reaching Westminster by collective bus. At 11 (12 in Italy) will begin what is now called the funeral of the century, a eleven days from the death of the sovereign who disappeared on 8 September last.
Alone the French president Macron and the American president Biden they decided to reach the London Cathedral with its own car. All other heads of state, including royals as the Japanese emperor Naruhito, have decided to rely on collective transport.
Queen Elizabeth funeral: all royals present
The event will be followed on TV by at least 4 billion people, experts swear. The whole institutional and monarchical world has landed in London for the last farewell to the longest-lived sovereign in modern history: Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years. Last June she celebrated his smiling Platinum Jubilee, with sunglasses, on the famous balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The first to arrive were King Philip and Queen Matilda of Belgium, King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King William Alexander and Queen Maxima of Holland, then King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, the princes of Monaco, Albert and Charlene.
The royals of Spain paused, saddened, in front of Elizabeth II’s coffin in Westminster.
In London there is also Juan Carlos, with his wife Sofia
There are, therefore, all the leaders of the Commonwealth, starting with the Australian premier Anthony Albanese, New Zealander Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin TrudeauUS President, Joe Biden with his wife Gill, ihe President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella with his daughter Laurathe President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and among others the South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol and the Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and for Turkey the Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Russia formally protested that it was not invited. It will be an unprecedented state funeral, the first since that given by Elizabeth II herself to Prime Minister Winston Churchill in St. Paul’s Cathedral on January 30, 1965.
In all, 2,000 personalities representing about 200 countries will be present.
The first to arrive at the funeral of Elizabeth II
Kate Middleton’s parents, Carole and Michael, and Queen Camilla’s ex-husband were among the first to arrive in Westminster. US President Joe Biden arrived at 11 am.
In honor of Elizabeth II the bells will ring every minute 96 times, the same as the years of the missing queen.
Listen to the free podcast about British royalty
iO Donna © REPRODUCTION RESERVED