LONDON: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremeisnghe and First Lady Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe on Sunday, Sept 18 paid their last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
They were accompanied by Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Saroja Sirisena as they paid respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Hall, London on Sunday (18).
President Wickremesinghe, who left the island to attend the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, arrived in London at noon on Saturday, September 17.
On arrival, the President was received by Ben Mellor, Director, India and Indo-Pacific Ocean Directorate of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Dave Easton, Deputy Lieutenant, His Majesty the King’s Special Representative and Saroja Sirisena, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in London.
The President, who will attend the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey, London on Monday Sept.19, is scheduled to return to the island on Wednesday Sept,21.
This is Ranil Wickremesinghe’s first official visit abroad after taking office as the President.
The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 08 after 70 years on the throne, will take place at Westminster Abbey on Monday 19th September.
Hundreds of foreign leaders — among them President Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern — have arrived in London ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday.
Sri Lanka declared the day of the funeral as a holiday as a mark of respect to the late Queen.
