Portia To Join Long List of World Leaders At Mandela’s Funeral. Queen To Be Absent

According to the Daily Mail ‘Elaborate funeral plans have been set in motion in South Africa following the death of the country’s revered first black president Nelson Mandela.’

‘The memorial, expected to last ten days, will be an unparalleled event in South Africa’s history, drawing a plethora of foreign dignitaries of every stripe, royals and a smattering of celebrities.’, the report continues.

Of course this function would not have been complete without the attendance of Jamaica’s own Prime Minister and her ‘delegation’.

Jamaica Observer Cartoon Reflecting Current Views on Portia Simpson-Miller’s Frequent Flights

The Gleaner reports that Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has been invited to be among world leaders at a special memorial for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 10.

Jamaica has a long history with Mandela and was the first country to declare a trade embargo against South Africa as part of the international campaign against apartheid.

The relationship between the countries endured during Mandela’s years of fight on the political and racial battlefields and it was no surprise that Jamaica was one of the first countries he visited following his release from prison

Queen Not Attending. Could Be Cutting Back On Costs

Meanwhile the daily mail is also reporting that

The Queen will not attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral after being advised to scale back on long haul travel but send the Prince of Wales instead, it was confirmed today.

Buckingham Palace said Prince Charles will represent the British monarchy at the memorial events in South Africa commemorating the Nobel Peace Prize-winner’s life.

Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter today he will also fly out for the service.

The Queen, meanwhile, is expected to pay tribute to the revered statesman at a service at Westminster Abbey, after reluctantly making the decision not to fly to South Africa.

The Prime Minister and her team also made a similar trip to Hugo Chavez’s funeral earlier this year (March 2013) in Venezuela. However transportation costs to attend the Venezuelan funeral were not borne by the government as the telecoms giant Digicel offered the use of their corporate jet for transportation free of cost.