The Saudi crown prince will travel to London but will not attend the funeral of Elizabeth II

Sep. 17 () –

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman will travel to London to personally express his condolences on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but is not expected to attend the state funeral scheduled for Monday at Westminster Abbey.

The British government has included Saudi Arabia on its guest list for the event, which is expected to be attended by some 500 international leaders. The Saudi Embassy has limited itself to confirming that Bin Salmán, who governs the country ‘de facto’, will travel to the United Kingdom, reports the BBC.

It will be the first visit of the heir to the United Kingdom since he was identified in 2018 as the alleged mastermind of the murder of journalist Yamal Khashogi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Bin Salman plans to meet the new King of England, Charles III, who will host a reception for international leaders on Sunday, but will not attend Monday’s funeral, according to sources quoted by Sky News. Instead, representatives of the Saudi Foreign Ministry will attend the funeral.