Anaïs Cordoba, edited by Yanis Darras 06:01, September 18, 2022
In London, British services are preparing for the Queen's funeral.
Hundreds of thousands of people and almost all heads of state from 185 countries are expected in the city.
Faced with the importance of the mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up a HQ, called "the hangar".
Since the announcement of the death of Elizabeth II, it is the commotion within the British administration.
Almost all heads of state from the 185 countries with which the UK has diplomatic relations have been invited to the funeral.
Only four countries, including Russia, are not invited.
The British services must now organize their reception and their security, while hundreds of thousands of people have started or are about to descend on the capital.
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By comparison, that's the equivalent of organizing 100 state visits at the same time, a government official lamented to the BBC.
To meet the challenge, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the heart of operations, has set up a HQ nicknamed "the hangar" where its teams from the protocol, security and communication departments work continuously.
Buses mobilized
According to the press, nearly 300 civil servants have been redeployed as reinforcements.
These officials have chartered a bus to transport heads of state and crowned heads to Westminster Abbey on Monday, where the Queen's funeral will take place.
A choice that challenges the British and the rest of the world but which, according to the ministry, is the only way to ensure that everyone arrives on time at the ceremony.