President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. will not be able to personally pay his respect to Queen Elizabeth II in her State Funeral in London on Monday.
Instead, he sent his sister, Irene Romualdez Marcos Araneta, who will be accompanied by her spouse, Gregorio María Araneta III, to become his representative in the historic event.
“Mrs. Marcos-Araneta and her spouse will be attending the events for the State Funeral beginning with the Lying-in-State of the Queen taking place today,” Press secretary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles said in a brief press statement she issued last Sunday.
Marcos is currently in the United States to attend the 77th Session of the United Nations from Sept. 18 to 24.
According to news reports, over 500 guests from 200 countries are expected to participate in the State Funeral of the longest reigning British monarch on Sept. 19, 2022
Among the state leaders, who are expected to participate in the event are US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The United Kingdom last held a state funeral in 1965 for its former prime minister, Winston Churchill.
Image credits: Office of the Press Secretary/Facebook