London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 05, 2026

Pics: World Leaders Pay Last Respects To The Queen

Pics: World Leaders Pay Last Respects To The Queen

Queen Elizabeth's state funeral today will be the first in Britain since the death of her first prime minister Winston Churchill in 1965.

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, will be laid to rest on Monday, after a grand state funeral attended by leaders from around the world, and a historic last ceremonial journey through the packed streets of London.

President Droupadi Murmu, her US counterpart Joe Biden, France's Emmanuel Macron are among the world leaders attending the funeral.


President Murmu, who is in London on a three-day visit to attend the state funeral, signed a condolence book on behalf of the Indian government on Sunday. The President was joined by Acting High Commissioner Sujit Ghosh at Lancaster House in London, where visiting world leaders are stopping by to sign a book of condolence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II who died aged 96 in Scotland on September 8.

US President Joe Biden remembered the Queen for her kindness and hospitality. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world, he said. Biden, who first met the Queen in 1982, crossed himself and put his hand on his heart while he stood with his wife Jill on a gallery overlooking the flag-draped casket in London's cavernous Westminster Hall.


Australia's anti-monarchy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese viewed the lying-in-state and met King Charles on Saturday. News agency AFP quoted him as saying that the queen was "a constant reassuring presence".

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (2nd L) and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg (L) pay their respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.


There was also a private audience at Buckingham Palace for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, which like Australia and 12 other Commonwealth realms now counts King Charles as its sovereign.

Japan's Emperor Naruhito (R) pays his respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Lying in State inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London .


The royal rulers of Qatar, Bahrain and Oman ordered flags to be flown at half-mast, and Jordan's King Abdullah II, whose mother was British, also sent his condolences, news agency AFP reported.

Bahrain's Prime Minister Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa pays his respects at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.


Leaders from Russia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria and North Korea, however, were not invited to join the 2,000 guests. While China will attend at the abbey, the country was barred by parliamentary leaders from the lying-in-state.

Queen Elizabeth's state funeral today, the first in Britain since the death of her first prime minister Winston Churchill in 1965, will bring an end to 11 days of national mourning across the United Kingdom that has seen the personal sorrow of the royal family play out in the glare of intense international attention.

The Queen's coffin will be carried on the same gun carriage used for her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria's funeral. The spectacular ceremony will be shown by around 125 cinemas across Britain, while parks, squares and cathedrals will also set up viewing screens for the huge ceremonial event.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
UK Schools Report Thousands of Child-on-Child Sexual Offences
High Court Overturns Ban Blocking Gaza Families From Reuniting With Relatives in UK
G7 Authorizes Emergency Fuel Release as UK Diesel Prices Hit £2 a Litre
France and Italy Draw 1-1 in Nations League Match
Pope Leo XIV and Prince Albert II of Monaco Meet in Metz
SNCF Expands Low-Cost Ouigo High-Speed Service Between Lyon and Bordeaux
Paris Expands Dedicated Cargo Bike Routes for Urban Deliveries
French Film Industry Pushes for Tighter Streaming Investment Rules
Marseille Court Hands Down Prison Terms in Public Procurement Corruption Case
LVMH and Kering Rely on US Demand as Chinese Luxury Spending Slows
Toulouse Aerospace Sector Launches €80 Million Modernization Fund
Javier Milei Courts French Investment in LNG and Lithium
Mistral AI Launches Sovereign Model for European Public Services
French Competition Authority Fines Retailers €40 Million Over Misleading Promotions
France Records Exceptional Electricity Exports as Nuclear Output Recovers
Dassault Aviation Expands Rafale Assembly Capacity at Mérignac
Sanofi Invests €1 Billion in New Biologics Production Hub Near Lyon
France Protests Germany’s Extension of Border Controls Into 2027
French Public-Sector and Transport Unions Threaten National Strike
France Deploys Riot Police After Violence in Lyon Suburbs
French Anti-Terrorism Prosecutors Investigate Radicalized Flydubai Co-Pilot
France’s Defense Budget Surpasses NATO’s 2% of GDP Target
French Government Faces No-Confidence Threat Over Budget
France and G7 Release 100 Million Barrels From Strategic Oil Reserves
France Convenes Emergency Defense Council Over Threats to Commercial Shipping
France and Germany Coordinate Military Response After Russian Strikes on Kyiv Infrastructure
UK Police Release Six Iranian Nationals on Bail After RAF Fairford Security Alert
UK Business Confidence Falls as Energy Costs and Tax Uncertainty Rise
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Rise 16% in January
UK Introduces Zero VAT on Household Electricity Bills
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Hits 6% as Bond Market Pressures Intensify
UK Introduces Stricter Subcontractor Checks and Expanded Trade Union Access
Green Party Proposes Three-Year Emergency Freeze on Private Rent Increases
UK Treasury Committee Seeks Tax Clarification Over Manchester City Investigation
Royal Marines Deploy to Faroe Islands for Northern European Security Exercise
UK Business Confidence Weakens as High Costs Delay Investment
UK GDP Growth Revised Up to 0.5% in Second Quarter
Bank of England Warns of Financial Stability Risks From Autonomous AI
UK Expands Early Prisoner Release Scheme to Ease Overcrowding
UK Records Worst Bluetongue Outbreak on Record Across Livestock Farms
UK Government Faces Shrinking Fiscal Headroom Ahead of October 28 Budget
UK 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 6% as Energy Shock Drives Borrowing Costs Higher
×