Elizabeth II’s state funeral, to be held next Monday, will be attended by around 500 dignitaries and political representatives from countries around the world. The security operation to receive these figures is being seen as one of the largest since the end of World War II, and mobilize a police contingent of some 10,000 agents, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.

The presence of monarchs, heads of state and official representatives of numerous countries forces us to redouble our care with security, in an event that is already of great magnitude. The Whitehall police source likened the situation to “arrange hundreds of state visits” in a matter of daysaccording to The Telegraph. Most of the representatives will be transported by bus from the Royal Chelsea Hospital, a center that provides care to military and veterans, which on Monday will become a space to receive guests, reports El País.

Heading the guest list are members of the royal family. Elizabeth II’s children, King Charles III and her three siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, will have their husbands and wives by their side: Camilla, the Queen Consort, Countess Sofia of Wessex (wife of Eduardo), and Sir Tim Lawrence (husband of Ana). Among those present will also be the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson.

Public scandals, private heartbreaks and unbreakable friendship: the story of Fergie and André

The Queen’s eight grandchildren will also be present. Princes William and Harry will be joined by the women, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, respectively. Other British royals are also expected, including the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Gloucester, the Queen’s cousins.

World royalty will be at the funeral ceremonies

Isabel II’s funeral will be attended by monarchs from dozens of royal houses. King Felipe VI of Spain will be accompanied by his wife, Queen Letizia. The king and queen emeritus, Juan Carlos and Sofía were also invited: Sofía will travel with the official Spanish delegation, while the former monarch -distanced from the royal family since 2020, when he moved his official residence to Abu Dhabi after being investigated for corruption .— will go separately, paying out-of-pocket expenses.

The monarchs of the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark will also attend the funeral on behalf of their countries. Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco have also confirmed their presence.

Outside Europe, the visit of Emperor Naruhito of Japan stands out, breaking with the tradition of that country – traditionally, the monarch does not attend funerals, due to a cultural belief originating in the Japanese Shinto religion, which considers death as something “unclean”.

One of the most controversial appearances will be that of Mohammed bin Salman from Saudi Arabia. The monarch, who ascended the throne in 2017, has been accused of involvement in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who, in 2018, was tortured and executed at the Saudi embassy in Turkey, allegedly on the orders of bin Salman.

New revelations implicate Saudi crown prince in journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s death

Heads of State and Representatives, from the United States to North Korea

The funeral ceremonies will bring together the heads of state, government and diplomatic representatives of most of the world’s nations in one place. US President Joe Biden received special permission to use his armored limousine, nicknamed “The Beast,” to travel to the event.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be in London on Monday, as will the heads of state of Italy, Germany and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The President of the Republic, Marcelo de Rebelo de Sousa, confirmed his presence at the events shortly after the death of Elizabeth II..

Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand will be represented by their heads of government, Prime Ministers Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern, respectively.

The Conservative Liz Truss, the newly elected British Prime Minister, and the leader of the Labor Party, Keir Starmer, will be together at the event. As well as the Scottish Prime Minister and the head of government of the Republic of Ireland. The European Union will also be represented in the person of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

The wife of the Ukrainian president, Olena Zelenska, will be at the ceremonies on behalf of her husband, Volodymyr Zelensky, who chose to stay in Ukraine due to the war situation in the country.

Among the countries represented are also nations such as China, Iran and even North Korea, which since 2000 has maintained diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom. Kim Jong-un, who rarely travels abroad, is not expected to attend the funeral in person, and the country is expected to choose to send a diplomatic representative, like Iran.

China’s presence has been criticized, both inside and outside the UK. It is about the sanctions applied by the British to Beijing in response to human rights violations and the persecution of the Uyghur ethnic minority. On Friday, the Chinese delegation was prevented from visiting the Queen’s burning chamber in Westminster Hall. The presence of Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan is, for now, confirmed.

Chinese delegation banned from visiting Elizabeth II’s burning chamber

Russia, Syria and Venezuela were not invited

The biggest absence to record is that of Russia. The Kremlin was not invited to attend due to the war situation in Ukraine. Moscow spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “Russians respect Elizabeth II for her wisdom”, but that the presence of Vladimir Putin “was not considered”. Belarus, an ally of the Russians in the invasion, will also not be represented.

Syria and Venezuela, which do not have diplomatic relations with the UK, were not invited. Nor will Myanmar be present, which in recent years has been accused of violating various human rights, nor Afghanistan, whose Taliban government was not invited to attend the monarch’s funeral.