What does the Queen’s funeral guest list mean for diplomatic relations?
Questions have been raised over potential involvement of Xi, Trump and Modi among others
Planning for Monday’s state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II has ramped up in recent days with invitations being sent across the globe.
In what The Independent said will be “one of the largest diplomatic gatherings in decades, nearly 500 foreign dignitaries” are due to attend the event, with only three countries not receiving an invitation. Russia and Belarus have been shunned following their involvement in the invasion of Ukraine, while Myanmar, formerly a British colony now ruled by the military, will also not be represented.
Downing Street and the Foreign Office “had been keen to stress that the event would not be used as a diplomatic exercise”, said The Times. But it has now emerged that Liz Truss will “hold a small number of bilateral meetings with key allies over the weekend”, said the paper.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
So who’s invited and what will that mean for the UK’s foreign diplomacy?
What do the papers say?
China’s invitation has caused some consternation. “Confusion abounded in the Foreign Office,” according to Politico, “over whether Chinese premier Xi Jinping had been invited.” In a message seen by the website, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly suggested an invitation had only been extended to the Chinese ambassador, which “would have been a diplomatic snub of the kind reserved for countries with which the UK has abysmal relations including North Korea, Iran and Nicaragua”, said Politico.
Eventually the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office made clear that an invitation has been extended to Xi because the heads of states of all countries with which the UK has full diplomatic relations have been invited (with those exceptions of Russia, Belarus and Myanmar).
But senior Conservatives have criticised the decision, according to The Independent, with the party’s former leader Iain Duncan Smith saying: “How can they ban Belarus, Russia and Myanmar and not say no to China? They have a huge record of human rights abuses, including what we believe to be genocide, smashing churches and persecuting Christians?”
While it is not thought that Xi will attend the funeral, coming as it does soon after his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan, a spokeswoman for China’s foreign ministry said yesterday that Beijing was “actively considering” sending a high-level delegation to the funeral.
Questions have also been raised this week about the potential involvement of former US president Donald Trump, who issued what Insider described as “an effusive statement” soon after the Queen’s death calling her a “grand and beautiful lady”.
It appears, however, that President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have received two personal invitations, rather than being asked to form a US delegation, according to CNN, quashing the potential of a US delegation involving Trump. But in what could be considered something of a snub to Trump, there has been speculation that the Obamas might receive “private invites”, said the BBC.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, will also attend, despite the fact that “in the past year there has been a low-key row about whether the EU would be granted full diplomatic status in the post-Brexit UK”, reported The Guardian.
What next?
Liz Truss is expected to meet President Biden “as well as other key UK allies such as Anthony Albanese, the Australian leader, and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister”, said The Times.
But other world leaders “such as Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, and Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, are not expected to come as they are not formal heads of state”, said the paper.
One of the most notable group of attendees will be among the Australian delegation, with ten citizens who have made extraordinary contributions to their communities receiving invitations. One of those selected, Val Dempsey, told The Independent: “As it turned out, it was at the direct request of the Queen. It was in her wishes that ordinary people should come to the funeral and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m extremely ordinary. There’s nothing flash about me.”
Potentially one of the most interesting meetings will be between Truss and President Macron as France is “hoping to open a new chapter in Anglo-French relations after the departure of Boris Johnson”, said The Guardian.
Generally, though, it appears that the death of the Queen will not be seen as a chance for formal bilateral meetings, “however tempting given the crisis in Ukraine”, added the paper.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jamie Timson is the UK news editor, curating The Week UK's daily morning newsletter and setting the agenda for the day's news output. He was first a member of the team from 2015 to 2019, progressing from intern to senior staff writer, and then rejoined in September 2022. As a founding panellist on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, he has discussed politics, foreign affairs and conspiracy theories, sometimes separately, sometimes all at once. In between working at The Week, Jamie was a senior press officer at the Department for Transport, with a penchant for crisis communications, working on Brexit, the response to Covid-19 and HS2, among others.
-
The Zelensky Story: as 'astonishing as it is inspirational'
The Week Recommends BBC Two's three-part documentary features 'genuinely revealing' interviews with the Ukrainian president
By Ellie O'Mahoney, The Week UK Published
-
Why you need a pension to avoid 'retirement regret'
The Explainer Millions could face a shortfall in their golden years by failing to save for their retirement
By Marc Shoffman, The Week UK Published
-
A national writers nonprofit is the latest front in the war against generative AI
Under the radar NaNoWriMo refuses to condemn the use of AI for its annual challenge. Writers are not having it.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Tucker Carlson's WWII interview fractures conservatives
Talking Points Holocaust revisionism forces 'introspection' in right-wing media
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why is a government shutdown possible before the election?
Today's Big Question A fight over immigration, spending and the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Trump ups threatening rhetoric before debate
Tonight marks the first presidential debate between Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Germany's far-right win across the country?
Today's Big Question A startling AfD triumph in eastern Germany's regional elections lays bare the fragility of the country's mismatched coalition goverment
By The Week UK Published
-
When families cross the aisle against presidential candidates
In The Spotlight Tim Walz's cousins, Donald Trump's niece and nephew, RFK Jr.'s siblings: When it comes to running for office, blood is not necessarily thicker than water
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'The Gish Gallop will certainly play a major role'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Will Kamala Harris give YIMBYs a voice in the White House?
Today's Big Question And can federal officials do anything about local housing rules?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Americans have friends. We just never really see them'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published