Do royals attend state funerals for US Presidents?

Do royals attend state funerals for US Presidents? They have in the past.

With the death of former US President Jimmy Carter, a state funeral will be held in Washington D.C. Should royal watchers expect to see royal representatives at the funeral? It’s probable.

The British royals, in particular, have a history of attending the funerals of US Presidents, no doubt due to the United Kingdom and the United States’ close relationship.

The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attended the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s, as did several other foreign royals.

In 2004, King Charles (then Prince of Wales) represented Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan. King Frederik (then Crown Prince) of Denmark, King Felipe (then Prince of Asturias) of Spain, former King Constantine of Greece, former Empress Farah of Iran, Prince Albert of Monaco (as Hereditary Prince), King Philippe (then as Duke of Brabant) of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, King Hamad of Bahrain, Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia, and King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan also attended.

The last state funeral for a US President took place in 2018 with the death of President George H.W. Bush. Then Prince of Wales attended on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II once again. He was joined by Prince Abdullah of Bahrain, King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan, and Emir Hamad of Qatar.

Based on the most recent funerals, it seems quite likely that the British and Jordanian royals will send representatives to Jimmy Carter’s funeral.

Carter, a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner, died on 29 December at the age of 100. He served as the 39th US President from 1977 to 1981. Carter was the longest-lived US President and the only one to make it to 100.

President Joe Biden has ordered an official state funeral in Washington D.C. More information will be released in due course.