As world leaders from across the globe gear up to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London on Monday, three countries have been barred from the ceremony.
Watch Below: British Prime Minister Liz Truss makes a statement on Queen Elizabeth II
Representatives from Myanmar, Belarus and Russia will not be in attendance at the Queen’s funeral, whilst Iran will only be represented on an ambassadorial level.
Vladimir Putin has missed out on an invite to the funeral due to Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine, whil Myanmar’s leaders have been excluded due to their acts of violence against opposition democracy activists.
The long-reigning monarch’s funeral is expected to be attended by over 500 foreign dignitaries, including U.S President Joe Biden, New Zealand Prime Minister jacinda Ardern and the presidents of both Italy and Germany.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also set to attend, however, received backlash following his decision to travel via the Royal Australian Air Force’s VIP jet.
World leaders have been urged to travel on commercial flights to ease the carbon footprint of the event, whilst state cars and helicopters have also been banned.
Plans are in place for guests to instead travel to Westminister Abbey via bus.
Alongside Anthony Albanese and his partner Jodi Haydon, ten Aussies also scored an invite to the prestigious occasion.
Disability advocate and champion wheelchair tennis player, Dylan Alcott has been invited, alongside a select few Aussies who have made an impact through their social justice and volunteer work.
Dylan famously made the Queen giggle during a zoom call earlier this year, where he made a number of cheeky jokes.
During the call, he joked about his tennis career and retirement, telling the Queen he was “looking forward to coming to Wimbledon and drinking a Pimms this time rather than playing the whole time.”
His quip earned a chuckle from the monarch who replied with an “oh, right!”
The funeral is taking place on September 19, 2022, at 11.00 am British Standard Time.
Aussies in Queensland, NSW, The ACT, Victoria and Tasmania will be able to watch it live on ABC from 8 pm. For those in the Northern Territory and South Australia, the coverage will begin at 7:30 pm and Western Australia will start at 6.00 pm.
