The formalities surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral began on September 12, when the hearse carrying her coffin began its descent down south for the proceedings, per The Evening Standard. Scheduled to take place on September 19, the official funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey. According to Harper’s Bazaar, before it begins, the queen will rest in Westminster Hall, where people can come and pay their respects to her before she is moved to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the committal service. The service will be televised, meaning the public can attend the service through their screens. But who is invited to be there in-person?
While the service can hold 2,000 people, only certain important figures are invited to attend. The entire royal family will be there, including William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, the newly appointed Princess of Wales, and Harry, the Duke of Sussex and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Other than the family, heads of state, prime ministers, presidents, and important international figures are also invited, per Harper’s Bazaar. In the past, former president Donald Trump has expressed praise for the queen, leaving many to wonder if he is on the guest list.
Donald Trump Will Likely Not Be Invited To The Funeral
Donald Trump first met Queen Elizabeth II in 2019 while he was president and since then, he has expressed high approval of the queen. After her passing, he took to social media to honor her, saying, “Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain,” per People. But, regardless of his devotion to the queen, it is unlikely that Trump will receive an invite to her funeral.
According to the Daily Mail, invites are only extended to current heads of state. Regardless of the queen’s relationship with former presidents and figureheads, the chapel is unable to hold more than the allotted invites. As such, President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will be in attendance, confirming their plans with reporters, per The Evening Standard. Trump will have to watch the proceedings on television with the rest of the world.
