Russia, Myanmar, Belarus not invited to Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

While countries all over the world mourned the loss of Queen Elizabeth II since she passed away last week at the age of 96, not all countries were invited to the state funeral. The UK government will fund a lavish funeral next Monday with heads of state from around the world invited, but no representatives have been invited from Russia, Belarus, or Myanmar.

The funeral snub comes in response to Western allies including Britain condemning and sanctioning Russia and its allies in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in February, as well as the Burmese military junta’s brutal ongoing coup since last February.

The death of Queen Elizabeth and the ascension of the immediately crowned King Charles III have not been without controversy, with anti-monarchy protesters arrested, and mixed feelings being expressed worldwide for the tradition of the monarchy (and, with it, colonialism).

No funeral invite to the military leaders in Myanmar was expected, as the West has strongly condemned the coup. But even before that, Britain had placed sanctions on Myanmar in response to its treatment of the ethnic minority Rohingya population within the country.

The Burmese junta leaders have also been chummy with Vladimir Putin, and Belarus has supported him during the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. This allyship cost them their invitation to the royal funeral, sources report.

The funeral is expected to be one of the largest diplomatic gatherings to take place in the UK for decades, with about 500 foreign diplomats and representatives expected to attend. The heads of state for countries that have diplomatic relationships with the UK have all been invited, and the prime ministers of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand along with the US President and first lady will all be present at the funeral.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post