Swiss president to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral

Ignazio Cassis, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency, met Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the UK in April. Pa

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis will represent Switzerland at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London next Monday. 

Cassis has accepted an invitation to attend the funeral, which will take place on September 19, according to the Keystone-SDA news agency.

Around 500 dignitaries are expected in Westminster Abbey for the funeral, including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Full details of the state funeralExternal link for Britain’s longest reigning monarch have not been revealed, but the BBC reports that full a service at Westminster Abbey is expected along with a cortege and military procession across London before a final family ceremony at a chapel in Windsor Castle.

Cassis met the Queen in April when he was in London for talks on a free trade agreement with former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. On Friday, a day after the Queen’s death, Cassis expressed his admiration for the Queen, calling her a “compass” that gave people a sense of direction in a confusing world.