While New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern is happy to use the VIP bus system being set up to carry hundreds of visiting dignitaries in London over the lead-up to the Queen's funeral, other diplomats are not so easy to please.
Ardern touched down in the UK in the early hours of this morning ahead of attending the Queen's state funeral on Monday.
The logistical operation of managing crowds of mourners and those visiting from within and out of the UK is well underway. The Guardian reports up to 750,000 people are expected to descend on London to pay their respects to the 70-year-reigning monarch.
At a press conference this morning, Ardern told media she is used to sharing transport and has no qualms about bussing around the city.
"You'll know when I'm at home, if there's ever more than me and another member of the Government travelling to an event, we often take a van.
"Carpooling is not new to me, nor do I have any issue with it," she said.
In the long line were some New Zealanders who travelled across the globe for the sombre occasion. (Source: 1News)
However some diplomats are pushing back and want to arrive in their own vehicles, including US President, Joe Biden, who is reported to arrive at the funeral in his armoured limousine, often referred to as "The Beast," the Times reports.
For security reasons, Other world leaders, including President Macron of France, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and President Herzog of Israel, are also likely to have their own transport.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral: What you need to know
Some overseas diplomats based in London are unimpressed with the idea of having to park and ride and are now trying to ensure their heads of state get the same treatment as Biden.
“I am trying to have ours exempted from the bus,” one UK-based ambassador told European news site, Politico, “but not having much luck so far.”
Official documents issued to overseas embassies and obtained by Politico said world leaders “will be required” to leave their personal vehicles at a site in west London on September 19 and attend the funeral in shared coaches. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) blamed “tight security and road restrictions” for the measure.
“This is a huge scale operation with around 500 dignitaries from across the world expected and large public crowds already seen - with more likely on the day of the funeral," an FCDO spokesperson told 1News.
“The logistics have been meticulously planned to try to make it as smooth as possible for those attending," he said.
The UK government, rather than Buckingham Palace, is taking the lead on logistical arrangements, issuing detailed advice for those visiting and travelling around London.
We’ll have full coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's State Funeral on Monday in a 1News Special from 7.30 pm on TVNZ 1, and on 1News.co.nz.
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