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London: World leaders will gather in London from Saturday for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. Police are launching the UK’s largest-ever security operation for Monday’s funeral, with hundreds of dignitaries, including US President Joe Biden, set to fly in.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss met his counterparts from Australia and New Zealand, who arrived in the town ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.
Truss met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the government’s Chevening country home outside London on Saturday.
Ardern said the talks focused on the death of the Queen and King Charles III, as well as the war in Ukraine and the UK’s free trade agreement with New Zealand.
Truss’s meeting with Albanese also touches on trade issues. The Australian leader and his partner Jodie Haydon signed a letter of condolence for the Queen’s family.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also signed a letter of condolence.
Millions will watch funeral on Monday
The ceremony at Westminster Abbey – expected to be watched by millions around the world – will see 142 sailors pulling gun carts with lead-lined coffins.
The state funeral, the first in Britain since the death of Winston Churchill in 1965, will take place at Westminster Abbey in London at 11:00am local time.
More than 2,000 guests will be in attendance, but leaders of countries that are at odds with Britain, such as Russia, Belarus and Afghanistan, will not be invited.
London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday that it will be the largest policing operation in London’s history.
More than 2,000 police officers have been called up from across the country to help Scotland Yard.
After the funeral, the Queen’s coffin will be transported by royal hearse to Windsor Castle in west London for funeral.
A family-only funeral will follow, where the Queen will be buried with her late husband Philip, her parents and sister.
On Saturday, King Charles III and his son Prince William met with some of the thousands of people who lined up to see Queen Elizabeth II.
The new king and his heir shook hands and talked at Lambeth Bridge, and many mourners lined up overnight to meet the late monarch at Westminster Hall.
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