Biden and world leaders attend state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II

CNN
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US President Joe Biden On Monday he joined a long list of world leaders to The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II Inside London’s Westminster Abbey, where the entire royal festival was shown to honor a king whose rule has extended Seven decades.

World leaders, dignitaries, politicians, public figures and the European royal family were among the 2,000 people.

the service Conducted by Reverend David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, at Westminster Abbey. UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, read out the lessons. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby gave a sermon. Near the end of the service, the last post sounded two minutes before the silence. Queen Piper concluded the state funeral, with the national anthem and the national anthem played.

invitations It was sent over the weekend to the heads of state with which the UK has diplomatic relations. The list of leaders who attended the state funeral was long, and included driving across the Commonwealth and around the world. Representatives of Syria, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Venezuela were absent. For most states with an invitation, attendance extended to the head of state as well as a guest.

After the state funeral on Monday, the coffin will be moved from the auditorium to Wellington Arch before making its final journey from London to Windsor. The Queen’s journey will end at St George’s Chapel, within the grounds of Windsor Castle, where her coffin will be lowered in the Royal Vault below the chapel.

Biden was one of the few world leaders to arrive in his private motorcade to the Queen’s funeral, but for the past 10 days, his aides have been working behind the scenes to ensure he has as few footprints as possible while she is buried to rest. .

A person familiar with the planning said the White House had been very conscious not to make the trip around Biden, and had reviewed protocol closely in recent days to avoid any mistakes that might distract from the funeral itself. Biden traveled with fewer staff than usual on an overseas visit, and his aides decided not to schedule until an informal meeting with Truss while in London.

Instead, the person said the only events on Biden’s schedule were those planned in coordination with the palace.

Monday’s festive events are the culmination of nearly two weeks of public arrangements, dubbed “Operation London Bridge”.

Plans for the Queen’s funeral have been in place for years, giving US advisers a deeper view of precisely what will happen over the coming days as they make security arrangements. The White House said it only received an invitation from the president and first lady, making the American footprint slimmer.

Security in the British capital It is at its highest in memory as dozens of world leaders gathered over the weekend and into Monday to remember the late Queen, who met 13 presidents of the United States during her reign.

in an interview With Sky News last week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said of the scale: “If you think about the London Marathon, the carnival, past royal weddings, the Olympics – all in one.”

Biden is scheduled to return to Washington on Monday afternoon after the funeral. During their short visit to London, President and First Lady Jill Biden Pay their respects For the Queen while she was lying in state, she signed condolence books and attended a reception with other leaders and King Charles III.

The funeral takes place the same week that world leaders are scheduled to convene the United Nations General Assembly in New York, with Biden having his first bilateral meeting with Truss on Wednesday.

This story has been updated with additional developments and reports.