The Invite List To The Queen's Funeral Includes An Unexpected Hollywood Actor
Amongst the many famous faces who will be attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19 is the actor Sandra Oh. In an announcement posted to Canada's website, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared he and his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, would be attending the funeral, along with several other delegates from Canada.
As a member of the Order of Canada, Oh is included in the delegation, and will walk "in a procession of recipients of national honors as part of the service." The website notes the Order of Canada was established by Queen Elizabeth II in 1967 to recognize those who have demonstrated outstanding service to the nation. CTV News shared Oh's honor was bestowed this past June.
Oh has received 13 Emmy nominations. Four of those nominations were for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for her role as Eve Polastri in the BBC America series "Killing Eve." She also received five nominations for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Dr. Cristina Yang in "Grey's Anatomy." Before landing in America, Oh attended the National Theatre School in Canada (per NPR), and began acting in Canadian projects. She told Vogue, "In Canada, there's a mandate for diversity. I was a girl, Asian, and I spoke French. I ticked all their boxes." She added, "I took it with the correct outlook, which is ... to gain as much as experience as I [could]."
The queen's funeral will be a star-studded event
While "Grey's Anatomy" alum Sandra Oh will be in attendance at Queen Elizabeth's funeral on behalf of Canada, the commemoration of the late monarch's life is sure to be a star-studded event. As noted by iNews, celebrities such as environmental narrator and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber, and race car driver Sir Jackie Stewart are expected to be among those mourning the queen at Westminster Abbey. Onlookers may also expect to see the likes of Daniel Craig, Gary Barlow, Sir Elton John, and Dame Helen Mirren in attendance.
Of course, these figures aren't a random assortment of celebrity mourners, but rather high profile stars who shared personal connections to the queen. Attenborough, for instance, shared a touching relationship with Queen Elizabeth II, and a video of the two walking the grounds of Buckingham Palace together has even resurfaced amid the monarch's death. Stewart, meanwhile, was supposed to visit the queen at Balmoral on September 14, six days after the died. Of the late ruler, Stewart is said to be "distraught" due to her passing.
Mourners can bid farewell to the queen during her funeral
In addition to Sandra Oh, the royal family, dignitaries and politicians, and likely other high profile celebrities, mourners of Queen Elizabeth II can tune in to her funeral proceedings on September 19. As detailed by People, news networks in United States — including NBC, Fox News, CNN, and ABC — are expected to air the funeral. In Britain, networks Sky News, BBC One, and BBC News are showing the day's ongoings. Queen Elizabeth II's funeral is slated to start at 11 a.m. local time, which translates to 6 a.m. EST (and 3 a.m. PST for our West Coast royal watchers).
If cable news is not accessible, the BBC is expected to livestream the event online. A link is not available as of publication, but those wanting to pay their respects to the queen at the moment can watch her lying in state, as mourners gather at Westminster in real time. As for the United Kingdom is this period of grief, Fortune has noted that daily life for Britons has all but come to a halt, as "non-urgent" medical appointments, flights, and school classes have been canceled.