"Security nightmare": Leaders from around the world are flocking to London for the Queen's funeral
US President Biden and his wife have already arrived, as have the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Tonight, King Charles will hold an official reception at Buckingham Palace. At 10:00 p.m., Israel time, a minute of silence will be observed throughout the kingdom
Tali Goldstein
09/18/2022
Sunday, September 18, 2022, 10:30 a.m. Updated: 11:20 a.m.
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On video: A two-day queue - British residents and tourists wait to pass the Queen's coffin (Reuters)
A day before the royal funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, leaders from all over the world began arriving in London for the funeral.
United States President Joe Biden landed last night with his wife Jill, and he will be among 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries attending the funeral.
The prime ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Justin Trudeau, Anthony Albanese and Jacinda Ardern, also arrived.
"Her legacy will float over the pages of British and world history," Biden said in a message upon the announcement of the Queen's death.
Other Commonwealth leaders expected to attend include Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Azad, and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
India was represented by President Draupadi Murmu.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Irish President Michael Martin, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarella will also arrive.
Japan's new emperor, Nahorito, will also arrive, although he rarely leaves the borders of his country and does not usually attend funerals.
In addition, royal families from all over Europe will arrive.
Guests are to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth and walk past the coffin in Westminster Hall.
Afterwards, they will sign the condolence book at the Lancaster House.
However, the main event today will be an official state welcome that King Charles III will hold this evening at Buckingham Palace.
This will be the first opportunity for many leaders to meet each other.
The king will hold a meeting with British Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace before he and the queen consort meet the foreign guests.
President Biden and his wife land in London (Photo: Reuters)
President Biden and his wife land in London (Photo: Reuters)
However, some of the guests who were invited to attend the funeral met with criticism.
The invitation to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman caused controversy due to the fact that he was accused of giving the order to assassinate the Saudi-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Another invitation that has led to criticism is that of Chinese President Xi Jinping amid accusations of crimes against humanity by the Chinese government.
Xi will not attend the funeral and will be replaced by Sen. President Wang Qishan.
Representatives from Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were not invited.
Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua were invited to send ambassadors and not the heads of state.
The King with Jacinda Ardern (Photo: Reuters)
The King with Justin Trudeau (Photo: Reuters)
Today is the last day before the funeral.
Thousands of people are still queuing to pay their last respects to the Queen and pass the coffin in Westminster Hall.
The average waiting time as of Sunday morning was 12 hours.
A pre-recorded tribute to Queen Elizabeth by Queen Consort Camilla will be broadcast on the BBC before 8pm (10pm Israel time).
Camilla will talk about the Queen who was "the only woman" in a world dominated by men, recalling her "magnificent blue eyes" and "her smile".
Afterwards, the public will be invited to observe a minute's silence in memory of the Queen.
Tomorrow - a bank holiday in the UK - at 6:30 a.m. the entrance to Westminster Hall will be closed for the transfer of the coffin to Windsor Castle.
The funeral itself will be shown on giant screens across the UK, including Hyde Park in London;
Centenary Square in Birmingham;
Coleraine Town Hall in Northern Ireland and Holyrood Park in Edinburgh.
The funeral will also be broadcast live in cinemas and churches in the country, as well as on Sky News, BBC and ITV.
Final preparations are being made at the Westminter Church before the ceremony.
The royal funeral will be the end of a series of events that were planned very carefully and for decades, during the ten days after the Queen's death.
The Queen's grandchildren stood vigil yesterday in front of their grandmother's coffin (Photo: Reuters)
Even the cold does not stop those waiting (Photo: Reuters)
Police chiefs in London are also preparing for a security "nightmare" at the funeral, due to the need to protect world leaders as well as the public's desire to mourn properly.
Some compared the scale of the event to the 2012 London Olympics.
The last time Britain witnessed a state funeral was in 1965 when Winston Churchill died.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Kahan, commented last week to "Sky News" about the scope of the mission: "If you think of the London Marathon, Carnival, royal weddings, the Olympics - it's all in one event."
The three police forces currently operating in London - the Metropolitan Police, the City of London Police and the British Transport Police - began to actually implement the plans immediately after the announcement of the Queen's death on September 8 was published.
The funeral will be the Metropolitan Police's "biggest police event", Assistant Chief Stuart Kennedy told reporters.
The event is also expected to be
Even in the rain (Photo: Reuters)
The line to view the coffin (Photo: GettyImages)
The funeral is expected to be held at Westminster Church at 11 a.m. local time (1 p.m. Israel time).
A king's funeral has not been held in the church since the 18th century (although the Queen Mother was buried there in 2002).
In the same place, the wedding of the Queen with Prince Philip was held 75 years ago, and there a prayer of thanksgiving was held for the prince after his death last year.
The hall can hold 2,000 people - and will be full of family members, around 500 international leaders, politicians, monarchs from other countries, public figures and people who have worked with the Queen.
The day will begin with the carrying of the coffin from the hall to the church on top of the gun carriage which will be pulled by a company of sailors of the Royal Navy.
The trailer was last seen in 1979 at the funeral of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten.
King Charles and other family members are expected to follow the coffin.
The funeral will be conducted by David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiating.
Prime Minister Taras will be invited to read prayer verses.
After that, the coffin leaves the hall in a foot convoy and will pass by the corner of Hyde Park, where it will be placed in a hearse and will drive to Windsor.
The final journey of the coffin will be on the road that leads to Windsor Castle.
The King and family members will join the motorcade before the casket is taken to St George's Church for prayers.
St. George's Church is the church usually chosen by the royal family for events such as weddings, christenings and funerals.
Harry and Meghan got married there, as well as Prince Philip's funeral was held.
The coffin descends into the burial chamber before being buried in St. George's Chapel, alongside King George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father;
the queen mother;
her sister Margaret;
and her husband Prince Philip.
Waiting to see the coffin (Photo: GettyImages)
The huge logistical operation also includes other elements such as medical service, toilets, street cleaning and road closures.
The British government refused to elaborate on the specific "security arrangements".
The White House also declined to elaborate on Biden's security but announced that he is working with his British counterparts to ensure that presidential security requirements are met.
The FBI will monitor possible threats and share the information with Britain's MI5.
Around 2,000 volunteers and staff from the St John Ambulance Service have so far provided 24-hour support in London and Windsor, and will continue tomorrow.
The fire brigade carried out safety inspections in 40 large transportation centers, hotels, restaurants, shops and more.
10 fire engines and 50 firefighters helped people who were waiting in line to see the Queen's coffin.
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