The South African Presidency announced yesterday that President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend the State Funeral Service of Queen Elizabeth II next week.
The funeral is expected to be one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and politicians hosted in the UK for decades.
According to the royal.uk, the venue can hold up to 2 000 people and the congregation will be full of members of the Royal Family, world leaders, politicians, public figures, European royals, and those who worked closely with the Queen, reports Africanews.com.
Here’s a list of leaders expected to attend the royal funeral:
– Joe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the US
– Droupadi Murmu, President of India
– Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria
– Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
– Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia
– Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania
– Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka
– Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
– Yoon Suk-yeol, President of South Korea
– Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
– Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
– Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy
– Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
– Charles Michel, President of the European Council
– Ursula von der Leyen, President of European Commission
– Egils Levits, President of Latvia
– Paula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and Tobago
– Mohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime Minister
– Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland
– Katalin Novak, President of Hungary
– Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland
– Micheál Martin, Taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland
– Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica
– Floyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize
– Susan Dougan, Governor-General of St Vincent and the Grenadines
– Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh
COUNTRIES NOT INVITED
– Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan
According to Politico, the invitation by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has also barred the heads of state from using their own cars to attend the funeral.
In place of private cars, the leaders will be transited in a bus from the receiving point in west London to the funeral venue.
IOL