The Asantehene has been officially invited to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II by the new British monarch, King Charles III.
The invitation which was delivered by the Protocol Directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the British government on behalf of the king, indicated that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was invited to the lying-in-State of the late queen as well as the king’s reception, state funeral service and the foreign secretary’s reception.
It added that the Asantehene could attend the state funeral which is scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2022, with his spouse or a partner.
Otumfuo will be the second invitee to the queen’s funeral from Ghana, the first being President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who was reportedly invited as the president of Ghana, a Commonwealth nation.
GhanaWeb can, however, not independently confirm if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially received his invitation.
Invitations have also been sent to all leaders from the Commonwealth nations.
So far, as the BBC reports, the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese; New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern; and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, have all confirmed their participation in the funeral.
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, and the Sri Lankan president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, have also reportedly accepted invitations.
Other world leaders who have confirmed they will be attending the state funeral include King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain, royal families of Norway, Sweden, and Demark, Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, President of the United States of America, Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden.
View Otumfuo’s invitation below:
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IB/DA
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II met Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace