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LONDON — Britain is going through a diplomatic backlash over VIP journey preparations for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, with a number of world leaders now requesting particular permission to skip the proposed ‘park and experience’ scheme and arrive of their official automobiles.
International locations of various sizes are pushing again towards a International, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace (FCDO) requirement that the majority international heads of state attending the funeral on Monday park their automobiles at a website in west London, and journey to the occasion at Westminster Abbey on shared coaches offered by the U.Okay. authorities.
Diplomats from 5 international locations, together with some inside the G7 group of most industrialized nations, advised POLITICO they need exceptions for his or her leaders, citing outdated age or safety causes.
They’ve been emboldened by remarks from the prime minister’s official spokesman Monday, who advised reporters that in some instances the ‘no automotive’ edict would in actual fact be “steerage” solely, and that “preparations for leaders, together with how they journey, will differ relying on particular person circumstances.”
The journey protocol, despatched to abroad embassies on the weekend and obtained by POLITICO, wouldn’t apply to leaders corresponding to U.S. President Joe Biden, a U.Okay. authorities supply later confirmed to the Instances. Biden is predicted to reach on the funeral in his armored limousine, sometimes called ‘The Beast.’ Different leaders with particular safety necessities, corresponding to President Isaac Herzog of Israel, is also allowed to deliver their very own transport, the identical U.Okay. supply stated.
However abroad diplomats primarily based in London are unimpressed with the two-tier system, and are actually clamoring to make sure their very own heads of state get the identical therapy as Biden and keep away from what — for some — is the perceived indignity of arriving on a bus with ‘lesser’ nations.
“I’m making an attempt to have ours exempted from the bus,” one U.Okay.-based ambassador admitted, “however not having a lot luck thus far.”
Diplomats say the FCDO has not defined the factors by which sure leaders can be allowed to skip the shared bus journey from London’s West Finish. Envoys are approaching the division on to request exceptions, however few, if any, have obtained a proper response.
“Our president is completely satisfied to go by bus if advised so, however he’s over 80, so if there’s a technique to keep away from it, we are going to strive,” one other senior diplomat stated.
“Appreciable anxiousness” additionally exists amongst leaders in regards to the doable identification of their fellow passengers upon the shared VIP coaches, a 3rd diplomat warned. The FCDO held a briefing Tuesday with representatives from all international locations planning to ship leaders to the funeral, however was unable to elucidate how the coach seating plans can be determined.
One other ambassador stated the FCDO briefing was welcome however had raised “extra questions than solutions,” including: “FCDO advised us to not have many expectations, to not be too formidable, and count on totally different issues. The logistical problem is large … They’re making an attempt to persuade us to take the buses, saying it’s a lot simpler to handle all the pieces.”
Some international diplomats are at the least acquainted with shared coach preparations from earlier mass occasions organized by the U.Okay., together with the U.N. COP26 local weather summit in Glasgow final 12 months, and the queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at St Paul’s Cathedral.
However a 3rd ambassador, representing a European nation whose chief doesn’t object to taking the bus, stated some heads of state not used to shared coach journey will see the plan as a problem to their “masculinity” — and that persuading them to simply accept the FCDO’s preparations can be no straightforward process.
“In the event you don’t know your head of state properly, or whether or not they’d settle for this stuff, it may be very tough for the ambassadors,” the envoy stated. “And it’s very tough for the FCDO — as a result of the place do you draw the road?”
