US President Joe Biden landed in Stansted, near London, on Saturday evening, where he is to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Many dignitaries and crowned heads are expected in the British capital, placed under high surveillance.
The tenant of the White House and his wife must go to meditate on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. (Swiss time) in front of the remains of the monarch, who died nine days ago and on display 24 hours a day to the public in London.
It is not known whether Westminster Hall will be evacuated for the occasion to guarantee the safety of the American president. During the wakes observed by members of the royal family or other heads of state, the flow of visitors had not been interrupted.
Joe Biden will attend a reception hosted by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening for dignitaries in attendance.
For the king, the diplomatic ball began on Saturday with a meeting with representatives of 14 other Commonwealth kingdoms, including Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Elizabeth II was very attached to this organization today shaken by the republican temptations of certain members, in the Caribbean in particular, thanks to this change of sovereign.
State funeral
London is preparing feverishly for its first state funeral since that of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1965. The event attracts distinguished guests to the capital, including, in addition to the American president, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.
Also coming will be Turkish Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Japanese Emperor Naruhito on his first trip abroad since his accession to the throne in 2019, and Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as ‘MBS’.
Many crowned heads have been invited, like Prince Albert of Monaco or the King of Spain Felipe VI, as well as his father Juan Carlos I, who abdicated in 2014 and now lives in exile in the United Arab Emirates.
Westminster Abbey, where the funeral will be held Monday at 12:00 p.m., can accommodate 2,000 people. For the police, the event promises to be even more imposing than the Olympic Games, which took place in London in 2012.
/ATS