Among the 2,000 in the congregation will be some 500 world leaders, from Biden and Emperor Naruhito of Japan to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mark Brown, prime minister of Cook Islands.
Queen Elizabeth II, the former head of state of the UK and Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, passed away on September 8, aged 96. Her state funeral is scheduled at the Westminster Abbey on Monday at 11 am local time.
A difficult colonial history shared by 52 of the 56 current members of the Commonwealth was deftly obfuscated by pomp and circumstance. With the Queen’s passing, tensions may now bubble to the surface.