Leaders of three countries not invited to Queen Elizabeth's funeral

Russia is among just three countries that will not receive a single invite to Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday, Whitehall sources have said.

Representatives of Belarus have also not been invited to the funeral after the country supported its close neighbour and ally Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, Independent reports.

And Myanmar, a former British colony now ruled by generals after a military coup in February last year, makes up the third country shunned.

Iran, meanwhile, has received an invite from the foreign office but is expected to “only be represented at an ambassadorial level”.

In one of the largest diplomatic gatherings in decades, nearly 500 foreign dignitaries are due to join the bereaved royal family in London to pay their last respects to Britain's longest-serving monarch.

They will join the royals and other senior figures of British society including former and present UK prime ministers at Westminister Abbey at 11am on Monday for the service.

"This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades," a Whitehall source told PA news agency, likening it to organising “hundreds” of state visits all at once.

US president Joe Biden was among the first world leaders to declare he would be attending the service, after confirming that he had been invited by the UK foreign office alongside first lady Jill Biden. However, in a departure from tradition, that will be the full extent of the US delegation, with former presidents including Donald Trump not invited.