As world leaders bid final farewell to Queen Elizabeth II, Russia, five others missing

As world leaders, public figures and other dignitaries gather in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, six countries have not been invited to Monday’s event. They are Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela or Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

According to Sky News, UK does not have diplomatic relations with Syria or Venezuela, while the political situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over power a year ago means no representative has been invited from Kabul.

The report also states that Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua have been invited only at an ambassadorial level. Attendance is said to be strictly by invitation.

The Queen’s body had travelled from Balmoral to Edinburgh and thousands are expected to line the funeral cortege route and millions around the world will watch at home on TV.

Prior to the funeral, scheduled to start at 3.30pm, a tenor bell at Abbey tolled 96 times, once for each year of the Queen’s life.

According to BBC, King Charles III led a sombre procession behind his mother’s coffin on the short journey from Westminster Hall to the abbey shortly.

The Abbey’s bell has started to toll once a minute ahead of the service which commenced at 11:00 BST.

US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister are among the world leaders already at the Abbey; six former British prime ministers are also present.

Nigeria’s Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the funeral,

Before the service begins, the Queen’s coffin will be conveyed – in the first of three processions throughout the day – through Parliament Square, a distance of about 820ft (250m).

The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex will once more walk side-by-side behind their father, the King, who will walk alongside his siblings, the Queen’s four children.

Two of the Queen’s great-grandchildren, Prince George, nine, and Princess Charlotte, seven, will also walk behind the Queen’s coffin.

Members of the Royal Family are arriving at Westminster Hall as they prepare to make the sombre journey.

The procession from the abbey will see State Gun Carriage will carry the coffin, drawn by 142 sailors. A guard of honour will stand in the square made up of all three military services, accompanied by a Royal Marines band.

There will also be members of many European royal families, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Denmark, as well as the Emperor and Empress of Japan.

Former prime ministers Theresa May, Tony Blair, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, John Major and Boris Johnson have all entered the historic abbey ahead of the ceremony.

Others who have arrived include Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the UK’s chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty.

About 200 people who were recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours also received invitations.

Knife crime campaigner Natalie Queiroz told BBC Breakfast she was “totally speechless” when she was asked to attend.

Barbara Crellin, a volunteer emergency responder, said she “just cried and cried” when she was invited and described herself as “so humbled and privileged to be here”.

Millions of people will be watching the funeral across the country and most workplaces are closed for a bank holiday.

The event is also expected to be watched by millions around the world, with the Queen the head of state for 14 realms throughout the Commonwealth.

This is the first state funeral to be held since Sir Winston Churchill’s in 1965.

The service is being conducted by the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby giving the sermon.

The Order of Service shows a service filled with traditional church music and readings from the Bible.

Following the service, the coffin will be drawn in a walking procession from the Abbey to Wellington Arch, at London’s Hyde Park Corner, to the sombre toll of Big Ben.

Gun salutes will also fire every minute from Hyde Park during the procession and people can watch in person from designated viewing areas along the route.

Once at Wellington Arch, at about 13:00, the coffin will be transferred to the new State Hearse for its final journey to Windsor Castle. There, the Queen’s coffin will enter St George’s Chapel for a committal service.

Attended by a smaller congregation of about 800 guests, the committal service will be conducted by Dean of Windsor David Conner, with a blessing from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

At a private family service later, the Queen will be buried alongside her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the King George VI memorial chapel, located inside St George’s Chapel.