London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 27, 2026

UK rows back from ‘no cars, no private jets’ VIP guidance for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

UK rows back from ‘no cars, no private jets’ VIP guidance for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

Downing Street insists US President Joe Biden will not have to take the bus to Westminster Abbey.
Downing Street has rowed back over leaked government guidance for world leaders traveling to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral that required them to abandon their official cars and arrive by shuttle bus.

Official documents issued to overseas embassies and obtained by POLITICO Sunday stated world leaders “will be required” to leave their personal vehicles at a site in west London on September 19 and attend the funeral in shared coaches. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) blamed “tight security and road restrictions” for the measure.

On Monday the prime minister’s official spokesman confirmed the U.K. government — rather than Buckingham Palace — is taking the lead on logistical arrangements, but refused to comment on specific details “for operational security arrangements.”

But asked if U.S. President Joe Biden would really be expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey on a bus, the spokesman said it would be left to the U.S. leader to decide.

“I think that would be a question for the U.S. and how they prefer the president to travel,” he said.

“I would say that clearly arrangements for leaders, including how they travel, will vary depending on individual circumstances. And the guidance and information provided is guidance.”

The private document sent to embassies Saturday evening was unequivocal, however. “Overseas representatives invited to attend the state funeral will be required to travel in escorted coaches via [a location in west London], where their own vehicles may wait,” it said.

The document also advised world leaders to take commercial flights to the U.K. where possible, but said private jets could be used if arriving at London’s less-busy airports.

Earlier Monday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would ignore the guidance and attend the funeral in his official jet.

“I will travel this Thursday night from Australia,” Albanese told ABC Breakfast. “Those plans have been in place for a long period of time, since well before I became prime minister.”

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told ABC Radio National that it would not be “sensible” for a world leader like Albanese to take a commercial flight, despite the FCDO advice.

Marles, who also serves as Australia’s defense minister, said security was the “paramount consideration.”

“There are real issues of having prime ministers on commercial planes in terms of the security of the public who are also on those planes. So we’ve got to be sensible about this,” he said.

Meanwhile, the list of confirmed guests continues to grow for a diplomatic event with few parallels in recent times. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol confirmed their attendance Monday.

Leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had already done so last week.

Also likely to attend the funeral are Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among many more.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not yet confirmed whether he will travel to London. There has been no word yet from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will leave China this week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began to attend a summit in Central Asia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Ambulance Service Sees Record Emergency Demand as Heatwave Intensifies
British Chambers of Commerce Warns of Prolonged Weak Investment Climate Through 2027
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates as Inflation Risks Persist
UK Construction Sector Faces One Percent Contraction Amid Cost and Investment Pressures
Former DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson Convicted of Sexual Offences
Church of England Appoints Dr Linsay Cunningham to Lead Faith and Public Life Division
UK Armed Forces Day Marked Nationwide With Events From Aberdeen to the Scilly Isles
Rising Tensions in Edinburgh Prompt Joint Warning From Scottish Local Government Leaders
UK Construction Sector Forecast to Contract One Percent in 2026 on Cost Pressures
UK Parliament Backs 87 Percent Emissions Cut as Government Deepens Electrification Drive
British Chambers of Commerce Forecast Weak UK Growth as Investment and Demand Slow
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Amid Energy and Inflation Uncertainty
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Surge in Life-Threatening Emergency Calls During Heatwave
UK Parliament Approves Legally Binding 87 Percent Emissions Cut Target by 2040
United Kingdom Records Third Consecutive Day of Record June Heat as Europe Faces Worsening Heatwave
Robert Jenrick Defends £5 Million Donation to Nigel Farage Amid Political Scrutiny
Plymouth Museum The Box Wins 2026 Art Fund Museum of the Year Award
UK Government Faces Backlash Over Plans to Use Former Military Sites for Asylum Accommodation
Labour Party Faces Pressure Over Cabinet Stability as Senior Figures Clash on Policy Direction
Heathrow Airport Forecasts Passenger Decline in 2026 as Costs and Climate Disruption Mount
UK Energy Regulator Approves Expansion of Long-Duration Storage to Boost Power System Resilience
Crown Estate Reports Third Consecutive Year of £1 Billion Profit as Debate Over Royal Finances Intensifies
Teenager Charged With Murder in Wales Following Death of 14-Year-Old Boy
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Failures Trigger Calls for Public Inquiry Into Patient Safety
EasyJet Rejects £4.9 Billion Takeover Offer From Castlelake but Keeps Door Open for Further Talks
Record Heatwave Triggers UK Transport and Infrastructure Strain as Heathrow Revises Passenger Forecast Downward
Ofgem Approves Sixteen Long-Duration Energy Storage Projects to Strengthen UK Grid Stability
Labour Government Faces Internal Tensions Over Cabinet Decisions and Net Zero Policy Direction
British Food and Drink Exports Fall to Decade Low Amid Trade Friction and US Tariffs
Great Britain Grid Operator Spends £10 Million to Stabilize Electricity Supply During Heatwave Demand Surge
UK Parliament Committee Calls for Urgent National Adaptation Strategy as Extreme Heat Strains Public Infrastructure
Record-Breaking Heatwave Pushes England’s National Health Service to Critical Incident Status as Hospitals Struggle With Surge in Emergencies
UK Government Launches Review of Voluntary National Insurance Contributions System
UK Planning Inspectorate Reports Key Infrastructure and Planning Milestones in Annual Review
UK Government Reviews Travel Expense Reimbursement Rates for Employers and Employees
Civil Nuclear Constabulary Launches National Digital Memorial for Officers Killed in Service
UK and US Expand Collaboration on Nuclear Fusion Research and Workforce Exchange
Environment Agency Secures £275,000 Enforcement Deal with Anglian Water Over Permit Breaches
Independent Inspector Flags Ongoing Failures in UK Home Office Border Case Management
UK Government Considers Zero VAT Rate on Land for Social Housing Development
Bank of England Reports Sharp Drop in Emissions and Warns on Climate-Driven Financial Risk
Consumer Confidence in the UK Falls at Fastest Quarterly Rate Since 2022
UK Borrowing Costs Rise Sharply on Gilt Markets Amid Fiscal and Political Concerns
UK Government Plans Legislation to Bring British Steel into Public Ownership
UK Government Secures £210 Million Nuclear Fuel Deal to Support Ukraine Energy Security
London Ambulance Service Reports Record Emergency Call Volume Amid Severe Heatwave
United Kingdom Faces Record June Heatwave as Temperatures Hit 36.7°C in Somerset
UK Financial Services Reform Debate Intensifies Over Ministerial Regulatory Powers
UK Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep Inflation Above Target Through 2026
UK Biohacking and AI Wellness Trends Drive Surge in Personal Health Monitoring
×