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First Posted: 4/16/2013
(AP) More than 2,000 invitations were sent out for the Wednesday funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Among the former U.S. presidents, surviving U.K. prime ministers, world leaders and celebrities who made the cut are some high profile would-be guests who sent regrets: Former First Lady Nancy Reagan whose husband had a close relationship with the late premier will not be able to attend; nor will former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who shared key moments in history with the Iron Lady. Germany’s Angela Merkel is sending her foreign minister, while U.S. power families the Clintons and the Bushes won’t be making appearances.
Here’s a look at who is and isn’t attending the funeral Wednesday at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
ROYALS
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip
Greece’s Crown Prince Pavlos and Princess Marie-Chantal of the Hellenes
WORLD DIGNITARIES AND PUBLIC FIGURES
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney
Former U.S. presidential candidate Ross Perot
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron
Former U.K. Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and John Major
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle
F.W. de Klerk, the last apartheid-era South African president
U.S. presidential delegation, led by former secretaries of state George Shultz and James Baker
Three-member delegation from U.S. House of Representatives, comprised of Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Michele Bachmann and George Holding
Former U.S. presidential candidate Newt Gingrich
Poland’s Lech Walesa and Prime Minister Donald Tusk
Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Necas and former President Vaclav Klaus
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his wife, Janette
Former Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia
London Olympics chief Seb Coe
CELEBRITIES
“Dynasty” star Joan Collins
Singer Shirley Bassey
Designer Anya Hindmarch
Actor and singer Michael Crawford
“Top Gear” TV personality Jeremy Clarkson
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
Best-selling novelist Jeffrey Archer
Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee
Advertising magnate Maurice Saatchi
Classical singer Katherine Jenkins
NOTABLE NO-SHOWS
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Former U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan, who asked Fred Ryan, Chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, to represent her
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
Former U.S. President George W. Bush
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto
Alicia Castro, Argentina’s ambassador to the U.K.
Associated Press