Obamas, Trump, Putin and Queen's beloved corgis may not make it to the funeral, here's why

The royal fans will also keep an eye on whether Meghan Markle will make an appearance at the Queen’s funeral

PUBLISHED SEP 13, 2022

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Barack and Michelle Obama may not attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral along with the monarch's beloved corgis (Matthew Stockman, John Stillwell - WPA Pool, Brandon Bell, Ross Land, Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

LONDON, ENGLAND: The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will be held on September 19 at Westminster Abbey, London, and some of the top world leaders will be marking their attendance. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern, Japan's Emperor Naruhito, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan are some of the leaders who will be seen at the Queen’s funeral.

However, there will be a few who won’t be seen at the state honor of the Queen. According to reports, former US President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former US President Donald Trump, and Russian President Vladimir Putin have reportedly not got an invite to the Queen’s funeral. The royal fans will also keep an eye on whether Meghan Markle will make an appearance at Queen’s funeral or not. For the unversed, the Queen will lie-in-state in Westminster Hall for four days to allow the common public to pay their respects. The Queen died on September 8 at the age of 96.

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Barack Obama and Michelle Obama

The former President Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama might not make it to the state funeral of the Queen. According to USA Today, the Obamas have not received an official invite for D-Day. Barack’s close pal and US President Joe Biden will be marking his attendance with his wife Jill Biden.

The Daily Beast reported that the UK government has decided only to extend invites to current heads of state and their spouses or partners, as opposed to letting each country send a delegation featuring members of their own choosing. Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush have also not got the invitation.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama participate in the unveiling of their official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, on February 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. The portraits were commissioned by the Gallery, for Kehinde Wiley to create President Obama's portrait, and Amy Sherald that of Michelle Obama. — Former U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama participate in the unveiling of their official portraits during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, on February 12, 2018 in Washington, DC.(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Donald Trump

Donald Trump is another former world leader who might not be seen at the Queen’s funeral. Rumors are rife that he has been expecting an invite since he paid his condolences to the Queen after she died on September 8. However, just like other former US presidents, Trump too may not get an invitation.

On his website, he wrote, as reported by the New York Post, “Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world.”

The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September.

Prior to the State Funeral, The Queen will Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall for four days, to allow the public to pay their respects.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 10, 2022

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Hilton Anatole on August 06, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. CPAC began in 1974, and is a conference that brings together and hosts conservative organizations, activists, and world leaders in discussing current events and future political agendas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin

It is not official whether Putin has been extended an invite for the Queen’s funeral or not, but he is likely to miss it due to Russia being at war with Ukraine since February 2022. Also, there have been reports of him facing severe health issues.

As for UK leaders, PM Liz Truss and Labour party leader Keir Starmer are expected to attend. The state funeral will also include members of the royal families of Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia arrives during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Beijing National Stadium on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Meghan Markle

An expert via Fox News shared that Meghan Markle might not attend the Queen’s funeral. Prince Harry and Meghan were already in the UK when the Queen died and Harry rushed to be with the rest of his family at Balmoral Castle.

The royal expert believes that Meghan may return to California ahead of the funeral to be with their children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1. "Harry will likely stay in the UK until the funeral. I can’t imagine Meghan won’t attend, but again from a human perspective, Meghan was expecting to leave the kids for six days, not weeks, so [it] may not be possible for her to stay the whole time," said the expert.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leaves after attending the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 3, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leaves after attending the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 3, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Queen’s corgis

According to Sky News, the adorable corgis of the late Queen Elizabeth won’t be able to attend the funeral to be held on September 19. Unfortunately, the 'no-dog' rule at Westminster Abbey will not allow the adorable pets to bid their Queen the final goodbye. It has been reported that dogs at the event will not be even permitted to walk on the grounds.

Speaking of the Queen’s funeral, King Charles III will host a reception for all the overseas leaders on the evening before the funeral services at Buckingham Palace. The leaders of the state will be able to attend the lying-in-state of the queen’s body and sign the condolence book at Lancaster House. Leaders and their spouses have been advised to arrive on commercial flights. They are banned from using private state vehicles due to high security.