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Queen Elizabeth II's coffin en route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall
Photo: DANIEL LEAL / AFP
The Kremlin has publicly complained that no Russian representatives have been invited to the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II.
The British government is trying to "use the national tragedy that has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world" for "geopolitical purposes, to settle scores with our country," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova .
Zakharova criticized this attempt as "deeply immoral" and "blasphemous" because it would damage the memory of Elizabeth II.
She accused London of using the Russian "military operation" in Ukraine as a "pretext" to exclude Russia from the memorial service.
Elizabeth II died last Thursday at the age of 96 at her Scottish residence in Balmoral.
The funeral service for the Queen with state guests from all over the world will take place on Monday in Westminster Abbey.
Invited guests include more than a hundred queens, kings and other heads of state.
Russia, Belarus, North Korea and Myanmar did not receive an invitation.
Relations between Russia and Great Britain have been extremely strained for years.
The poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018 caused a deep crisis.
The Queen's State Funeral on September 19 is being hailed as the biggest event in Britain since the Second World War.
The celebrations begin at 12 p.m. German time, with US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, having confirmed their attendance.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also be there.
In addition to royal dignitaries, politicians and heads of state from around the world, 200 recipients of the Queen's Birthday Honors will also be in attendance, including those who have helped fight the coronavirus pandemic.
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