Invites for the Queen's state funeral have not been sent to Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar - while Iran will only be represented at an ambassadorial level.
Around 500 dignitaries are expected to travel to London for the event, with most heads of state being sent an invite for themselves and one guest. The officials will join members of the royal family and UK prime minister past and present at Westminster Abbey to pay their final respects to long-reigning monarch.
“This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” a Whitehall source said. The source compared the logistical task to organising “hundreds of state visits” within a matter of days. Normally, there might only be two or three a year.
