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Due to strained ties, the United Kingdom has opted to invite ambassadors, not heads of state, from several countries — Iran, Nicaragua and North Korea.
Russia and Belarus are among a small group of nations excluded altogether following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin — under a travel ban to the UK due to sanctions — had already said he would not attend.
But not inviting any Russian representative to the queen’s funeral was “particularly blasphemous towards Elizabeth II’s memory” and “deeply immoral”, the foreign ministry spokeswoman in Moscow said Thursday.
Russia and Belarus have embassies in London and their presidents sent King Charles III messages of condolences.
Other countries with no invitations are Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Hundreds of foreign royals and heads of state are expected to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday for one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades.
Westminster Abbey has space for about 2,000 people. Around 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries along with their partners are expected, according to BBC and Sky News reports.
Also attending Britain’s first state funeral for six decades will be the queen’s family members, courtiers, public figures and UK politicians.
World royalty
A host of royals from Europe and further afield have confirmed their attendance at the funeral for Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will attend — their first overseas trip since assuming the throne in 2019. The visit marks a departure from Japanese tradition, which rarely sees the emperor attend funerals.
Europe’s royal families are closely related after centuries of mingling their bloodlines, so it will be no surprise to see several monarchs from the continent.
King Harald V of Norway, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Philippe, King of the Belgians will all attend.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, who scrapped a series of events marking her 50th jubilee following the death of her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth, is also coming.
