All of the Royals Confirmed to Attend Queen Elizabeth's Funeral
Queen Elizabeth's funeral will take place on September 19 at Westminster Abbey, and the somber ceremony is set to be one of the largest-ever gatherings of royalty and politicians in the UK in recent decades. The capacity at Westminster Abbey is around 2,200 people, and it is expected that many members of royal families from across the world will be in attendance.
While a full guest list of those in attendance for Queen Elizabeth's funeral won't be confirmed until closer to September 19, here are the royals confirmed to be in attendance so far.
British royals
Likely the entirety of the British royal family will be in attendance, including the Queen's four children (King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward) and all her eight grandchildren (Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, and James, Viscount Severn). No word yet on whether or not any of the Queen's great-grandchildren will attend—most are likely too young.
The Queen's four living cousins—the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, Prince Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra—will likely be in attendance as well, as will Princess Margaret's children, Lady Sarah Chatto and David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon. We can also expect to see all their families.
Denmark
Queen Margrethe of Denmark, now the longest reigning queen in Europe, will be present. This past weekend, she marked her Golden Jubilee, or 50 years on the throne. She was close with Elizabeth throughout the years, and even led a moment of silence for her dear "Lilibet" during her celebration. Margrethe will be in attendance at the funeral, along with her heir, Crown Prince Frederik, and her daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Mary, the Danish palace confirmed.
Spain
King Felipe and Queen Letizia, the current king and queen of Spain, will be in attendance, according to the BBC, along with former king Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. "Queen Letizia and I send Your Majesty and the whole Family our love and prayers," King Felipe recently wrote to King Charles. "You are all in our hearts and thoughts. We will miss her dearly."
Monaco
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco will be at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, per the Daily Mail. Charlene only reemerged into public life earlier this year, and the trip to the UK will be one of her first out of the country since her health issues.
"I am deeply saddened at the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a truly great lady whose dedication and service was recognised throughout the world during the 70 years of her reign," Charlene wrote on her Instagram. 'Today, my thoughts are with her family, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren and the British people."
Tonga
King Tupou VI will attend Queen Elizabeth's state funeral, according to the King's private secretary Sione Fifita (via Matangi). It is unclear if his wife, Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will join him.
In January, Queen Elizabeth sent a message of condolence to King Tupou VI after the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted. King Tupou VI ascended to the throne in 2012, and met Queen Elizabeth twice in the last decade. Queen Elizabeth first visited the nation in 1953, and many other members of the royal family have traveled to Tonga in the decades since, including Prince Harry, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2018.
Belgium
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, who just celebrated their niece Princess Maria Laura's royal wedding to William Isvy, will make the trip to London to honor the life of the late Queen Elizabeth, according to Reuters. Queen Paola and King Albert II, who abdicated the throne in 2013 for health reasons, will likely not be in attendance.
Bhutan
King Jigme and Queen Jetsun will travel from Bhutan for Queen Elizabeth's funeral. The day after the Queen's death, the monarchs "offered a thousand Butterlamps" at Samtse, in Bhutan, in honor of the late Queen. According to their social media, "Special marme moenlam (prayers to offer light) were performed for the ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister, government officials, and thousands of people of Samtse. Thongdrol (gigantic appliqué images) of Guru Rinpoche and Zhabdrung were unfurled for the ceremony, to sanctify the important occasion."
While King Jigme and Queen Jetsun never met Queen Elizabeth, they did meet then-Prince Charles and Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2011, and they welcomed Prince William and Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, during their royal visit to Bhutan in 2016.
Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg will be in attendance at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, via the royal blog Gert's Royals.
"The Queen played a considerable part in shaping the history of the United Kingdom as its longest serving monarch. We profoundly admired Her moral strength and determination. She was an exemplary monarch, most loved and respected by people all over the world," Grand Duke Henri wrote to King Charles. "Luxembourg has never forgotten the extraordinary support the United Kingdom gave to Grand Duchess Charlotte and her son, my father Jean, during World War 2. Their safe haven in London helped to preserve the very existence of my country in those dark times. We are grateful for the close ties of our families and Her Majesty’s extraordinary and unique example of service to our country."
Japan
The Japanese government confirmed that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will travel to the UK to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
"The British royal family and our imperial family enjoy a long and close relationship, one that stretches back three generations from the current emperor, to the emperor emeritus [former Emperor Akihito], to Emperor Showa," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference, per Japan Times.
When Emperor Naruhito was a prince and studying at Oxford University, he stayed with Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral, and he joined the British royals on the balcony during Trooping the Colour in 1985. His father, Emperor Akihito, attended Queen Elizabeth's coronation. In 1975, Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit Japan.
Netherlands
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, along with former Dutch queen Princess Beatrix will travel to the funeral, according to the Royal House of the Netherlands.
"We remember Queen Elizabeth II with deep respect and great affection," said King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands in a statement. "Steadfast and wise, she dedicated her long life to serving the British people. We feel a strong bond with the United Kingdom and its royal family, and we share their sorrow at this time. We are very grateful for our countries' close friendship, to which Queen Elizabeth made such an unforgettable contribution."
A friend of Beatrix's once commented that Queen Elizabeth and then-Queen Beatrix were close friends and confidants.
Sweden
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf, a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth's, and Queen Silvia will be in attendance at the British monarch's funeral, per Reuters.
"Her Late Majesty was an inspiration to the world in her outstanding dedication and duty to her countries and to the Commonwealth," the Swedish king wrote to King Charles. "The Anglo-Swedish bonds and the friendship between our peoples are centuries old. On behalf of the people of Sweden, I extend my sincere condolences to Your Majesties and the Royal family, as well as to the people of the United Kingdom."
Malaysia
Malaysian monarchs Al-Sultan Abdullah Al-Haj of Pahang, the 16th King of Malaysia, and his wife, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, will represent Malaysia at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, according to Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah (via Malay Mail). Queen Elizabeth traveled to Malaysia three times during the course of her reign, in 1972, 1989, and 1998.
Bulgaria
Tsar Simeon II, aka Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was forced into exile in 1946, is no longer a monarch, but still a royal. He will be in attendance at Queen Elizabeth's funeral, according to his secretary. He is now one of only two living people who were heads of state during World War II.
"Absolutely devastated. We simply had hoped that your beloved Mother would keep on being an example for everyone, forever," he wrote to King Charles. "The universal grief we are witnessing proves that nobody in History has had such positive influence on so many. Her faith and unwavering sense of duty over three generations, can never be equaled! I shall always be grateful for Her inspiring example, the very quintessence of the Monarch serving Her People literally to the very last day! A beacon of light, permanently and unassumingly leading in the right direction."
Romania
Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania, and her husband Prince Radu will attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, the Romanian royal family announced. They will represent Romania along with Romania's president Klaus Iohannis.
Serbia
Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia, head of the House of Karađorđević (formerly of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Kingdom of Serbia), will be at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral, according to Gert's Royals. It's unclear if his wife, Princess Katarina Karadjordjevic, will attend as well.
Queen Elizabeth was Crown Prince Alexander's godmother. "I will always fondly remember her great spirit, wisdom, and courage. It is well known how important godmothers and godfathers are for us Serbs, that is a special, sacred bond, and that is why this is so difficult and hard for me. Her dedication to serving her country and the people was a bright example of the role of a monarch in today’s world. She will be deeply missed by her people and all the persons in the world who had the pleasure of knowing this amazing woman, a role model, and an inspiration," he wrote in a message.
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