Mandela Memorial: Four British PMs To Attend

Mr Brown with Mr Mandela in Parliament Square during a 2007 visit to the UK

Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown will all accompany David Cameron to the official memorial ceremony for Nelson Mandela.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and the leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, will also attend the service in Johannesburg's FNB Stadium, the scene of Nelson Mandela's last public appearance ahead of the 2010 World Cup Final.

It is the first time for many years that all of the country's surviving prime ministers have travelled to an event abroad.

 

 

Mr Cameron with Mr Mandela durning a 2006 visit to South Africa

 

South Africa is preparing for the arrival of scores of world leaders as the official mourning continues for the country's first black leader.
The Pretoria administration has confirmed 53 servicing heads of state have confirmed they will be among the 80,000 expected to gather to pay their tributes at Tuesday's four-hour event.
Among them will be the US President Barack Obama, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the former US presidents George W Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and the new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani.
Celebrities, including Bono, Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson are also expected to head to South Africa to pay their personal tributes.

 

Mr Blair with Mr Mandela outside Downing Street in 2004

 

The Prince of Wales will represent the Queen at Mr Mandela's funeral in Qunu on Sunday. He will be accompanied by his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, although the couple will not attend the memorial.
The 87-year-old monarch has been advised against long-haul flights and therefore has elected not to travel to the events.
The disclosure of the UK's representatives at the memorial comes as MPs prepare to honour the memory of the former South African president in the House of Commons.

 

 

Mr Mandela with Sir John outside Downing Street in 1996

 

Speaker John Bercow will make the opening address - significant because the Tory MP once was a member of the Right-wing Federation of Conservative Students, whose members wore t-shirts with "hang Nelson Mandela" slogans emblazoned upon them. Mr Bercow has always denied ever wearing a t-shirt.
Mr Bercow's comments will be followed by words from Mr Cameron and other party leaders and MPs. The rest of the days House of Commons business is expected to be scrapped.
Mr Mandela's body will lie in state at South Africa's seat of government, the Union Buildings in Pretoria, until he is laid to rest in a state funeral at his hometown of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.