For the upcoming official funeral of Queen Elizabeth, so many people are expected to come to London foreign heads of state are being instructed by the British government that they will not be allowed to drive around town in their own state vehicles, so they will be bussed to Westminster Abbey, Politico reports.
The British Foreign Ministry started sending information to embassies Saturday night outlining the expectations, plans and protocols for the celebration of the Queen’s life. Only heads of state and their spouses or partners will be allowed to attend the event; no one else will be allowed to be part of official state delegations because of the limited seating available in the church.
Leaders are being asked to fly on commercial flights into London, not take private planes because of the limited ground space to secure aircraft. London’s Heathrow Airport will not be made available to foreign delegations for either landings or aircraft storage; other airports in the region may not be able to accommodate certain planes.
Of course, special arrangements will be made for security, and it’s unlikely the President of the United States will be photographed disembarking from a motorcoach. “Can you imagine Joe Biden on the bus?” one foreign ambassador based in London complained via WhatsApp message early Sunday.