King Charles III and Queen Camilla, accompanied by members of the Royal Family, have hosted a gathering of world leaders at Buckingham Palace in preparation for tomorrow’s State Funeral.
All the leaders that had arrived in London gathered in the Picture Gallery and the King’s Apartment rooms of Buckingham Palace for a cocktail and some canapés.
For security reasons, Buckingham Palace did not divulge a complete guest list of the event. Still, filming was allowed for the arrivals, which gave the public a small glimpse into the many illustrious personalities entering the centre of the British monarchy.
Among them, many were royals from Europe and around the world: King Felipe and Queen Letizia and former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain; Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark; King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; King Jigme Khesar and Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan; and Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan were all spotted entering the palace.
We also know that King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden were present because they were photographed paying their respects to Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin as it lay-in-state at Westminster Hall, although cameras did not capture their arrival at Buckingham Palace.
All realms of the Commonwealth have sent representatives, including Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie, Australia, with newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and New Zealand, with much-beloved Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was one of the first world leaders to enter Westminster Hall to pay her respects to the late Queen.
Also present were President Biden of the United States, President Macron of France, and even Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska; the latter travelled alone, as President Zelensky has not left the country since 24 February when Russia invaded them, and was welcomed at Buckingham Palace for a private meeting by the Princess of Wales. Zelenska had met the Princess previously when the Ukrainian Presidential Couple paid a two-day official visit to the UK in October of 2020. President Zelensky, however, has paid many tributes to the late monarch, including a video message and the signing of the book of condolence at the British Embassy in Kyiv.
Not only is this the first big gathering of world leaders since the global health crisis, but it is on a scale of historic proportions. It had been decades since so many world leaders had come together in one place.
A fitting tribute for a Queen that, even in death, is writing history.
