funeral ceremonies
Moscow criticizes the lack of an invitation to the Queen’s funeral
The spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry has expressed criticism of Russia for not receiving an invitation to the Queen’s funeral. photo
© —/Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/AP/dpa
Hundreds of heads of state and government, members of royal families and other dignitaries are invited to the memorial service to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Russia is not among them – much to the annoyance of the Foreign Ministry in Moscow.
Russia has criticized the lack of an invitation to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral as “deeply immoral”. It is an attempt by Britain to “use the national tragedy that is touching the hearts of millions of people around the world for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country,” the Foreign Ministry said in Moscow on Thursday. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained that the British government had informed the Russian embassy in London that there was no invitation to the funeral services.
Britain had not invited Russia and Belarus because of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine, according to the British news agency PA. Zakharova spoke of a pretext. She emphasized that Queen Elizabeth II did not interfere in politics herself. In contrast, the “British elite” is now using the situation for political purposes. “From our side, we express our deepest condolences to the British people at the great loss they have suffered,” Zakharova said.
Elizabeth II died last Thursday at the age of 96 at her Scottish country estate, Balmoral Castle. The state funeral for the monarch is planned for next Monday in London, to which hundreds of heads of state and government, members of royal families and other dignitaries are also expected.