Topical 15/9/22

Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral at London’s Westminster Abbey on September 19 will be the biggest public event in London in many decades – perhaps the biggest, according to UK commentators. Preparations in detail have been made years ago in anticipation of the sadly inevitable death of the Queen. About 500 dignitaries, world leaders from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden to people like the Queen’s horse trainer will attend the funeral. Russian dictator Putin is unlikely to get an invitation. Mr Albanese has evidently offered RAAF jets to help transport mourners from Pacific islands attend the funeral. Apart from the historic magnitude of the event, the Queen’s funeral will be a massive, unprecedented, security and logistics undertaking. Thousands of UK police and troops will be deployed to London from across the country. Mourning dignitaries will be taken by bus into Westminster Abbey, no private cars allowed, and no helicopters. Westminster Abbey holds 2200 people and it will be full to the rafters. The funeral service at Westminster Abbey is on September 19.