Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images
- Foreign leaders attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral have been advised to fly commercial.
- They have also been banned from using helicopters, according to documents obtained by Politico.
- The Queen's funeral is set for September 19 at Westminster Abbey in London.
Foreign leaders and their spouses attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in London on September 19 have been advised to fly to the UK on commercial flights and are banned from using helicopters, according to documents obtained by Politico.
The documents from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office were sent from the UK to embassies, the outlet reported. The FCDO anticipates the funeral service will be at capacity, so no more than one representative per country and their spouse will be invited to attend.
The department said it "regrets that, because of limited space at the state funeral service and associated events, no other members of the principal guest's family, staff or entourage may be admitted."
The FCDO advised funeral attendees to fly commercial "where possible" because London Heathrow airport will not have private flight arrangements or aircraft parking, despite the airport normally accommodating private jets. The department also banned helicopter transfers between airports because of the volume of flights.
World leaders were also told they will be bussed in groups to the funeral at Westminster Abbey and cannot use their own state cars to attend the service, Politico reported.
One unnamed foreign ambassador sent a message to Politico reporters on WhatsApp on Sunday, saying: "Can you imagine Joe Biden on the bus?"
Preparing for an event like this also comes with security concerns. Next weekend's premier league soccer games might be postponed due to a lack of police resources that may be diverted to the funeral, according to iNews.
Politico reported that an FCDO document detailing logistics for those traveling to the service from abroad says "multiple and comprehensive layers of security will be in place across London and at all the official venues used for the state funeral and associated events."
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday at 96 years old, ending an era for the UK. Her son, now King Charles III, attended his accession ceremony on Saturday.
The Queen's coffin is currently being transported from Balmoral, Scotland, where she died, to London. Along the way, the hearse will make multiple stops in Scotland, before reaching the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland, the BBC reported.
After the monarch's funeral, the Queen will reach her final resting place in Windsor Castle next to her late husband, Prince Philip who died in April 2021 at age 99.
https://i.insider.com/631e97e589d2b30018949375?format=jpeg
