Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8. The New York Times reported that Buckingham Palace did not release the names of those who attended Monday’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, but there were a number of political leaders in attendance.
President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, flew to the U.K. on Saturday to attend the funeral, according to The Guardian. According to BBC, the Bidens sat in the 14th row at the funeral.
According to USA Today, Biden is the only U.S. president to attend. USA Today reported, “Former President Jimmy Carter did not get an invitation, his office said. Spokespeople for Obama, Trump, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton did not comment.”
Other world leaders attended the funeral, including Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand, and Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, BBC reported.
Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also attended, as reported by The Washington Post. Zelenska tweeted that it was an “honor” for her to attend the funeral.
According to The Washington Post, leaders of nearly 200 countries were slated to attend Elizabeth’s funeral, along with members of 23 royal families. The queen’s funeral gives leaders a unique space to talk with each other outside of typical settings.
Peter Westmacott, former British ambassador to the United States, told The Washington Post that this setting leads to “an outbreak of civility.”
BBC provided full coverage of the funeral.