Last updated 1 hour ago
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photo released, PA Medium
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King Charles III will host a reception today for hundreds of leaders and dignitaries from different countries at Buckingham Palace, ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral scheduled for Monday.
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Many dignitaries, including US President Joe Biden and his wife, took a farewell look at his coffin in London as mourners continued to hail for the past few hours.
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Tens of thousands of people are still lining up to pass the late queen’s coffin in Westminster Hall, despite warnings of a long waiting period.
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Camilla, wife of King Charles, will pay tribute to the late queen in a televised speech later on.
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Some 500 heads of state and foreign dignitaries flock to the gathering, the first of its kind in London in decades.
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The President of the United States and his wife, Jill, attended the reception at Buckingham Palace.
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Among those seen entering the palace were Irish President Michael D Higgins, British Prime Minister Liz Truss, French President Emmanuel Macron, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
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Also present were Emperor Naruhito of Japan, King Philip VI of Spain, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
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A minute of silence was held at 20:00 (1900 GMT) in honor of the late queen.
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Most of the guests wore black for the event.
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Monday’s state funeral is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of royalty and politicians the UK has hosted in decades.
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photo released, Getty Images
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last visited the UK in 2018 when he met the Queen at Buckingham Palace
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For many leaders, this will be their only chance to meet collectively and engage in diplomatic conversation.
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But some leaders’ appeal has sparked criticism, such as that of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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According to a British foreign ministry source, Mohammed bin Salman is not expected to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
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The Reuters news agency quoted the source as saying this amendment came from the Saudi side.
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Bin Salman is accused of ordering the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2018, a charge denied by the crown prince and his government.
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Khashoggi’s girlfriend Hatice Cengiz said he shouldn’t be allowed to attend the event and that it was a shame for the queen’s memory.
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Among other appeals that have sparked criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping, due to allegations of crimes against humanity against China.
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But President Xi will not attend the funeral. Instead, Beijing will be represented by Vice President Wang Qishan.
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Representatives from Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela and Afghanistan were not invited.
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As for Iran, North Korea and Nicaragua, they were asked to participate at the level of ambassadors rather than heads of state.
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