Queen Elizabeth's funeral has reportedly banned one thing
Those who have been given the honour to attend the Queen's funeral will apparently have to forego one specific thing that's been banned as she is laid to rest.
The state funeral is taking place today (19 September), with members of the royal family gathering to say goodbye to the Queen along with hundreds of heads of state and foreign dignitaries.
Official invitations for the event went out over this past weekend, when the Queen's coffin remained at Westminster Hall for the lying in state period following her passing on 8 September.
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King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry and numerous other members of the family will be in attendance, with leaders such as Liz Truss, the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Joe Biden also expected.
The various attendees will have racked up a lot of mileage in order to make it to Westminster Abbey, but documents relating to the event obtained by Politico reveal that visitors have been encouraged not to travel by private jets, instead being urged to take commercial flights to the UK.
World leaders have also been told they cannot use private cars or helicopters to get around, but will be transported to the funeral on coaches from a site in west London.
Admittedly I can't quite imagine Biden sliding into a budget seat on British Airways to make it across the Atlantic, but then again, with all the focus on tracking private jets recently maybe he at least considered the idea.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the UK's Chief of the Defence Staff, said before the funeral that 'enormous' planning has gone into the event, with 6,000 military personnel taking part in the procession and more than 10,000 soldiers, sailors and aviators involved to monitor the events around London on the day.
“We have the plans and now we have to execute them and there’s lots of brilliant people that are enabling that and it’s coming together as well," he said.
“So the army the Royal Navy, the Air Force, but also our civil servants, and we’re helping other people in London, the emergency services, some of the volunteers as well, and so that this is a sombre occasion, but it’s done with the utmost respect and also affection.”
Following the service at Westminster Abbey, the Queen will be buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Emily Brown