Margaret Thatcher funeral: Jenkins and Howard to attend

Number 10 released the latest list on Friday of those who had accepted invitiations to Baroness Thatcher’s funeral, which will take place on Wednesday.

US politician Newt Gingrich has accepted an invitiation. Internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee, broadcaster Andrew Neil and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe are also expected to attend.

Thousands of guests

More than 2,000 invites are being sent out to a guest list spanning around 200 states, territories and international organisations.

A full list of attendees will not be released until after the funeral, but on Thursday the prime minister’s office sent out an initial list including names of those who had been invited and those who would be attending.

Among those who are confirmed to attend the ceremony are the Queen, who will be attending her first former prime minister’s funeral since that of Winston Churchill.

Other attendees include Tony Blair, Hillary Clinton. Lord Heseltine, Lord Archer, Dame Shirley Bassey and Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

Rupert Murdoch and former Labour leader Neil Kinnock are among names who will not be attending the funeral.

White invitiations

Invitees will include all surviving former prime ministers, all surviving former US presidents, all surviving members of Lady Thatcher’s cabinets, a Reagan family representative, and the current cabinet.

Also invited will be Ed Miliband, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Sir Bernard and Lady Ingham, Fredrick Forsyth, former Prime Minister Mahathir of Malaysia and a representative of Nelson Mandela.

VIPs will receive white invitations, indicating that they will be seated in the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, with other invitations colour coded to determine seating location.

Guests have been asked to be seated at the church by 10am on Wednesday, with the service starting at 11am.