Who is going to Margaret Thatcher’s funeral? Detailed list.
Invitations to the funeral of former British PM Margaret Thatcher at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 17 April are being sent out.
The guest list has been decided by Margaret Thatcher’s family and representatives, along with the government and the Conservative Party.
It is expected that more than 2,000 invitations will be delivered.
About 200 states, territories and international organizations have been invited to send an official representative.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has not been invited but the country’s ambassador to Britain has – Downing Street says this is in keeping with diplomatic protocol for such occasions.
The guest list for the funeral ceremony has been decided by Margaret Thatcher’s family and representatives, along with the government and the Conservative Party
Queen Elizabeth II will lead the mourners with the Duke of Edinburgh.
St Paul’s Cathedral has a capacity of 2,300 and is expected to be full on the day.
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral invitees include:
- All surviving former UK prime ministers
- All surviving former US presidents
- A representative of the family of former US President Ronald Reagan
- Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
- All surviving members of Margaret Thatcher’s cabinets
- The current British cabinet
- Opposition leader Ed Miliband
- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
- Margaret Thatcher’s former press secretary Sir Bernard Ingham and Lady Ingham
- Author Frederick Forsyth
- Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad
- A representative of Nelson Mandela
- The first minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond
- The first minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones
- The first minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson
- Falklands War veterans
- Director of The British Forces Foundation Mark Cann
- Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend John Sentamu
- Broadcaster Sir David Frost
- Broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald
- Lyricist Sir Timothy Rice
- Actress June Whitfield
- Actress Joan Collins
- Fashion designer Anya Hindmarch
Some of those attending Margaret Thatcher’s funeral include:
- Tony and Cherie Blair
- Former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk
- Singer Dame Shirley Bassey
- Broadcaster and journalist Jeremy Clarkson
- Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber
- Lord and Lady Archer
- Lord Powell of Bayswater
- Lord Carrington
- Canadian PM Stephen Harper
- Former Canadian PM Brian Mulroney
- Michael and Carolyn Portillo
- Broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and Lady Helen Wogan
Among those not attending Margaret Thatcher’s funeral ceremony:
- Ronald Reagan’s widow Nancy is understood to be too frail to travel
- Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will not be attending due to health problems
- Downing Street has confirmed that Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will not be invited
- Lord Kinnock – former Labour Leader of the Opposition – will not be present because of a commitment to attend the funeral of a former local councillor in Wales
- Comedian Jim Davidson, a prominent Tory supporter during the 1980s, is understood not to have been invited