The British government has asked its citizens not to join the queues leading to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral chapel, at the Parliament buildings, as they will not arrive until the halls are closed. Heads of state and leaders also arrived in London for the funeral and the first diplomatic intrigues arose. The unexpected event has strained relations between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Lizz Truss.

His assistant announced yesterday that the scheduled meeting between the two was postponed until next Wednesday, when they meet at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Biden’s announcement that he would attend the funeral, accompanied by the first lady, was received in London as confirmation of the magnitude of the event.

The cancellation of the meeting coincided with the publication by ‘The Sunday Times’ of a story which revealed that Truss’ campaign manager and now chief of staff had been investigated for his involvement in possible crimes of corruption in the United States election, and that he had reached an agreement with the FBI to cooperate as witness without using his testimony in a criminal trial.

Mark Fullbrook, 60, a veteran adviser to Britain’s conservative rulers and former partner of a consulting firm who has devoted himself to advising parties with similar ideologies in different parts of the world, will act as an intermediary between Italian-Venezuelan millionaire Julio Herrera and former governor of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez, in committing the crime.

The charges against banker Herrera and Governor Vázquez, who were arrested last month, stem from the fact that the former promised to help Trump-friendly politics, with 300,000 euros for his election campaign, if he fired the financial regulator. Vázquez accepted the donation, which is prohibited by US election law, which would be paid for by contracting with the consulting services firm CT, of which Fullbrook is a partner.

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The ‘Financial Times’ described two weeks ago the low respect the Biden team’s diplomats felt for the new prime minister. They describe him as being impulsive, but speaking in clichés. It is possible that the president would prefer to postpone the meeting, with open judicial procedures and perhaps knowing that the ‘Sunday Times’ is investigating the Fullbrook case.

Until the bizarre cancellation of the meeting with Biden was announced, the British hosts were worried about their most complex guest, Mohamed Bin Salman. Removed from diplomatic circles after the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is expected to appear to offer his condolences but not attend the funeral. The King had a very good relationship with the Saud Family.

Russia, whose Foreign Ministry has described the refusal as immoral, has not been invited. The Chinese vice president will be present at Westminster Abbey, but the Chinese delegation will not be allowed to enter the funeral chapel, as Beijing has barred some British lawmakers from entering their country. Westminster Hall is in the Houses of Parliament.

Spain’s king and queen arrived in London this Sunday and will visit the funeral chapel before joining the reception that the new king, Carlos III, offered to guests at the funeral service. Monarchs in the Middle East find it awkward that the transfer from the royal concentration center to the Monastery is done by bus, according to the British press.