President Murmu, Foreign Secretary attend Queen’s state funeral

President Droupadi Murmu and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra formed the official Indian delegation at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday.

The President and the Foreign Secretary arrived at the Abbey in a procession alongside other Commonwealth heads of state and government, including the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan and Singapore President Halimah Yacob. Earlier, the President met with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, before joining the 2,000-strong congregation at the Abbey.

“President Droupadi Murmu met with Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana just before commencement of the State Funeral at London,” Rahstrapati Bhavan tweeted.

Murmu arrived in London on Saturday on a three-day visit to attend the state funeral. On Sunday, she signed a condolence book on behalf of the Indian government at Lancaster House in London. Murmu also paid her respects at Westminster Hall, where Britain’s longest-serving monarch is Lying-in-State until the morning of the state funeral.

She later attended a reception hosted by King Charles at Buckingham Palace along with all other visiting world leaders on Sunday evening.

Queen Elizabeth II, 96, passed away peacefully at her Scottish residence of Balmoral Castle on September 8 and was Lying-in-State at Westminster Hall from where the coffin was conveyed in procession to the Abbey.