London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 13, 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
Barclays Moves to Acquire GoHenry in Bid to Expand Youth-Focused Fintech Services
UK Lupus Patients Show Remission in NHS Genetic Therapy Trial
London Clean Air Zones Linked to Fewer Emergency Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Illness
UK World Cup Scheduling Research Suggests Energy Bill Savings From Off-Peak Usage
UK Economic Anxiety Rises Among Young People Over Long-Term Job Prospects
NHS Expands Meningitis B Vaccination Programme for School Leavers and New Students
London Ultra-Low Emission Zone Linked to Drop in Emergency Respiratory Hospital Admissions
Derbyshire Police Officer Investigated Over Alleged Use of AI-Generated Evidence in Case Files
UK Parents Back Proposed Under-16 Social Media Ban as Online Safety Concerns Grow
Four Palestine Action Activists Jailed Over Sabotage Attack on Israeli-Linked Arms Facility
Barclays to Acquire GoHenry in Push to Expand Digital Banking for Children and Teenagers
UK Government Reaffirms Defence Spending Commitment Amid Cabinet Pressure and Political Disputes
Belfast Unrest Prompts Security Review as Paramilitary Activity Comes Under Renewed Scrutiny
SpaceX IPO Pushes Elon Musk to Become World’s First Trillionaire After Record Valuation Surge
United States and Iran Near Landmark Peace Framework as Negotiations Reach Final Stages
UK Competition Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Family Seating Charges
Imperial College Study Links London Emissions Charges to Lower Hospital Admissions
Scottish First Minister Launches US Trade Initiative Ahead of World Cup Match in Boston
Fifteen Million Workers Gain Expanded Sick Pay Rights Under UK Reforms
British Retail Investors Secure Record Participation in SpaceX Share Offering
Keir Starmer and Micheál Martin Coordinate Response to Northern Ireland Violence
NHS Prepares for Major Disruption as Resident Doctors Announce Four-Day Strike
Bank of England Expected to Hold Rates as Energy Costs Complicate Inflation Outlook
Britain Moves to Ban Under-16s From High-Risk Social Media Platforms and AI Chatbots
UK Economy Contracts as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Growth
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute With Treasury
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis After Senior Cabinet Resignations
NHS Trust Secures Funding for AI Tool to Detect Heart Failure Earlier
Government Unveils £4.5 Billion Investment Plan for Walking and Cycling Infrastructure
Nationwide Reports UK House Prices Falling as Borrowing Costs Remain Elevated
Centre for Social Justice Says Two Million Britons Are Using Illegal Loan Sharks
UK Carmakers Warn EU Local Content Rules Could Damage British Manufacturing
UK Government Imposes Emergency Ban on Seven Potent Synthetic Opioids
Royal Navy Completes Major North Atlantic Anti-Submarine Exercise Off Norway
NHS Figures Show Nearly 3,000 Patients a Day Receiving Care in Hospital Corridors
CBI Cuts UK Growth Forecast as Middle East Tensions Drive Inflation Risks Higher
Dan Jarvis Appointed UK Defence Secretary Following Major Government Reshuffle
University College London Study Links Physical Punishment to Higher Risk of Bullying
East Midlands Railway Unveils First Refurbished Train in £60 Million Modernization Programme
RNLI Issues National Water Safety Appeal Ahead of Expected Heatwave
Climate Change Raises Subsidence Risks for Millions of Homes Across Southeast England
Manchester Advances Plans for Underground Piccadilly Station With £1 Million Funding Commitment
Anti-Immigration Violence Continues in Belfast Amid Heightened Security Concerns
UK Law Locks Great British Railways Into Public Ownership
Office for National Statistics Adopts Supermarket Checkout Data for Inflation Measurement
Applied Atomics Launches With $500 Million Space Infrastructure Order Book
BYD Plans Nationwide Rollout of Ultra-Fast EV Charging Network
UK House Prices Unexpectedly Fall in May
CBI Warns UK Growth Is Becoming Increasingly Dependent on Public Spending
Makerfield By-Election Fuels Speculation Over Labour’s Future Leadership
×