Iran not invited to King Charles's coronation

Russia and Belarus also among countries absent from royal festivities

Dignitaries will assemble at Westminster Abbey for King Charles's coronation on Saturday. PA

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Iran has not been invited to King Charles III’s coronation in Britain, in a change from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

Tehran was allowed to send a diplomat to the funeral last year despite President Ebrahim Raisi not being invited to attend.

But since then, Iran's role in supplying drones used by Russia to attack Ukraine has led to UK sanctions on regime officials, military figures and Iranian businesses.

A crackdown on women's rights protests in Iran in the autumn has also soured relations.

Iran is now in a small group of countries with no invitation at all to Saturday's coronation, Britain’s PA news agency reported.

While the royals are politically non-partisan, the diplomatic activity around the coronation is handled by the UK government.

Britain prepares for the coronation - in pictures

There is no invitation for Russia or its ally Belarus, with relations at rock bottom after the former’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar and Afghanistan are also not invited.

North Korea and Nicaragua have been offered the chance to send a head of mission, as they were for the funeral.

China is sending Vice President Han Zheng.

The protocol is that invitations are generally sent to the heads of state of countries with whom the UK has full diplomatic relations, with a small number of exceptions.

The notes issued by the Foreign Office indicate the “roles to which the invitation could be delegated”, said one of its ministers, David Rutley.

US President Joe Biden, who attended the queen’s funeral, will be represented by his wife Jill Biden.

Heads of state expected to attend Saturday's coronation include presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany.

King Charles is the head of state of several Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and Canada, who are sending their respective prime ministers, Anthony Albanese and Justin Trudeau.

Canada announced that astronaut Jeremy Hansen would be its flag-bearer at a procession, while Australia has nominated footballer Sam Kerr, who plays for the Chelsea women’s team in England.

The security operation is expected to involve about 9,000 people and authorities have compiled a watch list of possible troublemakers.