Margaret Thatcher’s Funeral: A look at attendees and notable no-shows

LONDON – More than 2,000 invitations were sent out for the funeral of former Wednesday of 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 historic funeral Wednesday at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

ROYALS AND POLITICAL ROYALTY

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip

King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie of Greece

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

WORLD DIGNITARIES AND PUBLIC FIGURES

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. politician 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

Any representatives of Brazil

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto