SEPANG – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today departed for London to pay his last respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8.
Al-Sultan Abdullah’s special six-day visit is on an official invitation by the UK government, starting today, and he is accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
The special aircraft carrying Their Majesties departed from Bunga Raya Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport here at 10.30am.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar was present to bid farewell to their majesties.
Prior to the departure, Istana Negara’s religious officer Datuk Munir Md Salleh recited a prayer for the protection and safety of their majesties.
Their majesties went through the guard-of-honour before boarding the plane.
As part of the special visit, their majesties will both attend the reception ceremony with King Charles III this Sunday and the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday at Westminster Abbey.
Al-Sultan Abdullah is also scheduled to hold meetings with several foreign heads of state while in the United Kingdom.
According to media reports, the queen’s body is now in London, where she lies in state in Westminster Hall until the state funeral on Monday.
She was the second longest reigning monarch in European history after King Louis XIV of France.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II visited Malaysia three times, namely in 1972 for a special visit, 1989 in conjunction with the 11th Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and in 1998 in conjunction with the 16th Commonwealth Games.
Their majesties both met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on December 13, 2019, where they attended a luncheon held in conjunction with their seven-day special visit to England from December 9, 2019.
Al-Sultan Abdullah has been friends with King Charles III for more than four decades and played polo together as teenagers at various levels of international tournaments.
Malaysia and the UK have had close bilateral relations since Malaysia’s independence 65 years ago.
Al-Sultan Abdullah previously ordered that the Pahang flag be flown at half-mast for three consecutive days starting last Saturday as a mark of respect for Queen Elizabeth II.
Following the special visit to the UK, their majesties’ state visit to Singapore originally scheduled for this Monday has been postponed. – Bernama, September 16, 2022
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