How Europe’s royals are related to the Queen: As every monarch confirm they’ll attend the funeral, FEMAIL reveals how their family ties date back centuries
- European royal families have all confirmed they’ll attend the Queen’s funeral
- Lichtenstein were the latest to confirm that they would be attending ceremony
- Asian monarchies and former royal families will also join the service in London
- The Queen’s funeral: All the latest Royal Family news and coverage
Europe’s royal families have all confirmed they will attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday, in a show of support for ‘Auntie Lilibet.’
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were amongst the first to RSVP for the monarch’s final farewell in London.
Since then, it has been confirmed that all the other active royal families of Europe, as well as many Asian monarchies and former royal families will also attend.
Revealed: How the monarchies of Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg are related to the Queen
Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein are the latest to confirm they will be joining the service.
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and King Harald V of Norway will also all be present on Monday.
Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the royal families attending…
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium
King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, pictured in 2020, were among the first royal families to confirm their attendance
The Belgium monarch, who lives in Brussels with his wife Queen Mathilde, is a distant cousin of the Queen.
One shared ancestor is Franz, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, who was the grandfather of Queen Victoria, as well as the father of King Leopold I of the Belgians.
They are also related via King Christian IX of Denmark, known as the ‘grandfather of Europe’ due to his far-reaching family tree.
The Queen is King Christian IX’s great-great granddaughter. Philippe is his great-great-great-grandson.
They are also related through Leopold I, who was the first King of Belgium, and the uncle of Prince Albert.
The couple have four children, but will attend Monday’s ceremony alone.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and Princess Beatrix
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who was the first to RSVP to the Queen’s funeral, is the Queen’s fifth cousin once removed thanks to an ancient connection in their family tree.
Willem-Alexander is a descendant of Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, who was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, and his wife Anne, the eldest daughter of King George II of Great Britain and his consort Caroline of Ansbach.
The Queen is descendant from Princess Carolina through her paternal grandmother Queen Mary, wife of King George V.
King Willem-Alexander will attend with his wife, Maxima, and his mother, Princess Beatrix.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were among the first to RSVP for the monarch’s final farewell
Willem-Alexander’s mother Princess Beatrix, the country’s former Sovereign, will also be in attendance (pictured in August)
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, pictured in May, were amongst the first to send their sympathies to King Charles III
Former Spanish King Juan Carlos and his wife Queen Sofia will also attend the ceremony with Felipe and Letizia
Game of thrones! How Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider’s web of European royal connections
With nine children of her own and 42 grandchildren, Queen Victoria sat at the centre of a spider’s web of royal connections across Europe.
Her husband Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha had dreamt of a Europe held together by family connections, and Victoria was determined to carry out his wishes.
They married their offspring into royal and noble families across the continent, earning Victoria the nickname ‘the grandmother of Europe’.
Eight of their children married into royal houses, starting with Vicky, who wed the Crown Prince of Prussia.
But after Albert’s death in 1861, Victoria retreated from public appearances and became known for wearing black and living in mourning.
The Spanish King, who ascended the throne in 2014, will also be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey on Monday. He will be joined by his wife Queen Letizia.
He is related to the Queen on both sides of his family and referred to the monarch as ‘aunt Lilibet’.
His mother, Queen Sofia, was a third cousin of the Queen and a first cousin once removed of the Duke of Edinburgh.
Felipe’s father, Juan Carlos, is a descendant of Queen Victoria. His grandmother, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, Princess Beatrice.
Juan Carlos, 83, who abdicated in 2014 in favour of his son Felipe VI, 53, has been living in Abu Dhabi since summer 2020 after becoming the target of several probes in Spain over his financial dealings.
There were questions over whether he would attend the funeral but he looks set to be among the mourners at Westminster Abbey.
He will be in attendance at the funeral with his wife Queen Sofia.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, pictured on September 10, will attend the ceremony with his mother, Queen Margrethe II
Queen Margrethe of Denmark will attend the Queen’s funeral with her children (pictured on September 10)
The Queen of Denmark celebrated her Golden Jubilee at the weekend, but modified the event’s proceedings after the death of the Queen was announced.
She had a good relationship with the monarch, who was a distant cousin, and will be attending with her son Crown Prince Frederik. Her daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary had been due to attend but it is thought she has now pulled out.
Margrethe is descended from Queen Victoria and her third cousin Christian IX, making her a distant cousin of the Queen.
She is also the first cousin of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf through Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Margaret of Connaught.
Margaret of Connaught was the daughter of Queen Victoria’s third son, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught. She was also Queen Margrethe’ and Carl Gustav’s great-aunt.
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Queen Sonja, left, will also both be present for the ceremony Monday
At the age of 75 Carl is the longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, having took to the throne in 1973.
He and his wife Queen Silvia, 77, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant will be in attendance.
King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden is one of the European royals with the closest ties to the Queen.
He is a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria and was a third cousin of the late Monarch.
That is because the Swedish King is the great-grandson of Queen Victoria’s son Prince Arthur, and is also related, on her mother’s side to Victoria’s eighth son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany.
King Harald & Queen Sonja of Norway
The Queen’s second cousin, King Harald V of Norway and Queen Sonja, pictured on September 11, will also make the journey to London
King Harald of Norway is a second cousin of Queen Elizabeth and 78th in line to the British throne.
Harald V has ruled the Scandinavian country since January 1991, succeeding his father, Olav V. He will likely be in attendance alongside his wife Queen Sonja.
Harald V and the Queen shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, pictured in2019, will also be present on Monday
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his wife Maria Teresa will also attend Monday’s ceremony.
Henri, who came to power in 2000, is also thought to be a relative of the Monarch via Leopold I, Prince Albert’s uncle.
Hereditary Prince Alois & Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
The Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, pictured in 2019, will also attend
The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein was the last European royal to confirm he would attend the Monarch’s ceremony.
Aged 54, he has been King regent of his country since 2004 ands has been raising his four children with his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, who will also be in attendance.
Prince Albert & Princess Charlene of Monaco
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, pictured in July, who attended a memorial service for the Queen over the weekend, will also attend
Prince Albert of Monaco – who competed in bobsledding at the Winter Olympics five times from 1988 to 2002 -ascended to the Monaco throne after the death of his father, Prince Rainier III, on 6th April 2005.
He is married to Charlene, a South-African Olympic swimmer, but their marriage has been plagued by controversy over the past year.
ASIAN ROYAL FAMILIES
Sultan Hassanal of Brunei
The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, hsa also confirmed he will attend her funeral (pictured in 2019)
The Sultan of Brunei, who met the Queen several times throughout his reign, hsa also confirmed he will attend her funeral.
He has travelled to the UK many a time and has met with both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prime Minister David Cameron.
Aged 74, he has been ruling over Brunei since 1972.
King Jigme & Queen Jetsun of Bhutan
The Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign’s funeral, but will leave their sons, pictured in 2020, at home
The Bhutanese Monarchs will also travel to London for the Sovereign’s funeral.
King Jigme has been in power in Bhutan since 2011, and married his wife Jetsun Pema that same year.
They share two sons, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck and Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, who will not travel to London with them.
Emperor Naruhito & Empress Masako of Japan
Nahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019 and he will also travel to London on Monday, with his wife Masako
Nahurito, 62, became Emperor of Japan after succeeding to his father Emperor Akihito in 2019.
His wife Empress Masako, will attend the ceremony with him, but their daughter Princess Mako will stay in Japan.
Sultan Haitham of Oman
At 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death. He met the Queen in 2021, pictured
At 66, Haitham of Oman has been reigning since 2020, where he was named as successor by Sultan Qaboos before his death.
Before becoming Sultan, Haitham served in Qaboos cabinet and was Minister of Heritage and Culture from 2002 to 2020.
The Sultan met the Queen during his visit to the UK in 2021.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah & Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku of Malaysia
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019. He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky, right
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah, 63, became the King of Malaysia in 2019.
As a young man, he completed his military training in the UK at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
He will attend the ceremony with his wife, Raja Permaisury Agong Tunky.
OTHERS
King Tupou of Tonga
At 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018. It was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday’s ceremony with him
At 63, King Tupou has been the Monarch of Tonga since 2012, and met with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2018.
He is married, however, it was not confirmed that his wife, Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, will attend Monday’s ceremony with him.
FORMER MONARCHIES
Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece and Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece attend the 2022 Prince’s Trust Gala in New York earlier this year
Prince Pavlos is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark.
He is married to Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece.
Prince Emanuele of Savoy
Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, has also confirmed he will attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday (pictured in 2018)
Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 47, who is known as the ‘Pasta Prince’, due to his career running food trucks in LA, announced his plans to run for political office last year.
The royal runs a catering business called Prince of Venice and has lead a colourful life in the public eye, claiming to have dated Kate Moss and starring on Italy’s version of Strictly Come Dancing.
Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia
Alexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945. Pictured in 2011)
Alexander was born in exile at London’s Claridge’s hotel, temporarily declared Yugoslavia for a day in 1945 to get around succession laws requiring future kings to be born on home territory.
But in 2001, after the Yugoslav wars, he moved ‘home’. He is a close friend of King Charles.
Margareta & Prince Radu of Romania
Margareta & Prince Radu of Romania attended Prince Philip’s memorial service in March and will attend the Queen’s funeral on Monday
Margareta, who was educated at a boarding school in Hampshire, is the eldest daughter of King Michael I of Romania and his wife Queen Anne.
She and her husband Prince Radu, a former actor, will attend the Queen’s funeral together.
Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria
As a boy, he was His Majesty Tsar Simeon II of the Bulgarians for three years before being deposed by the Soviets in 1946. Half a century later, he ended up serving as prime minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005
As a boy, he was His Majesty Tsar Simeon II of the Bulgarians for three years before being deposed by the Soviets in 1946. Half a century later, he ended up serving as prime minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005.
Prince Philipp and Princess Saskia of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Charles III (R), Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Philipp’s wife Saaskia drive in an Alvis car in Langenburg, Germany, 28 May 2013
Prince Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his wife Saskia Binder, a former banker, are also set to attend. The couple also attended Prince Philip’s Service of Thanksgiving earlier this year.
Hereditary Prince Bernhard & Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden and The Margravine of Baden
Prince Bernhard of Baden, who was born in Germany, and is the eldest son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, was Prince Philip’s great nephew. He will attended with his wife Princess Stephanie (pictured in 2011)
Prince Bernhard of Baden, who was born in Germany, and is the eldest son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, was Prince Philip’s great nephew. He will attended with his wife Princess Stephanie.
Maximilian, Margrave of Baden, is the elder son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. At the age of 89, he is the eldest living nephew of the late Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and is first cousin to King Charles.
World leaders including Biden and Macron heading to London – but Putin and Xi likely to miss final farewell
Not invited
Russia’s Vladimir Putin
Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko
Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar
Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei/President Ebrahim Raisi – but the ambassador to the UK will be asked
Not confirmed
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi
China’s Xi Jinping
Ruler of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud or his son, de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud
Confirmed
Joe Biden and Jill Biden, President and first lady of the United States
Emmanuel Macron, President of France
President Isaac Herzog of Israel
Alexander Van der Bellen, President of Austria
Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister
Gitanas Nauseda, President of Lithuania
Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lankan President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany
Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean President
Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan
King Philip and Queen Mathilde of Belgium
Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy
Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
Egils Levits, President of Latvia
Paula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and Tobago
Mohammad Shtayyeh, Palestinian Prime Minister
Sauli Niinisto, President of Finland
Katalin Novak, Hungarian President
Michael D Higgins, Irish President and Micheál Martin, Irish Prime Minister
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