Liz Truss hosts world leaders ahead of Queen’s funeral but Biden meeting cancelled

Informal talks held with Australian and New Zealand prime ministers

Prime minister Liz Truss (PA Wire)

Liz Truss has hosted world leaders for informal talks as the first heads of state and government arrive in Britain for the Queen’s funeral.

The new PM met Australian leader Anthony Albanese and New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern at Chevening country residence on Saturday.

But Downing Street announced on Saturday that a planned meeting with US president Joe Biden ahead of the funeral had been cancelled, without providing an explanation.

Ms Truss is expected to hold talks with the US president at the UN general assembly meeting on Wednesday instead.

No 10 has framed the meetings as informal chats rather than official bilateral meetings, though it has hinted that trade as well as the Queen will be on the agenda.

Ahead of the meetings, Labour prime minister Ms Ardern said the Queen’s death and new King would be the “focus of conversation”, though trade would be likely to come up.

Mr Albanese, also a left-of-centre leader, signed a book of condolences in Lancaster House.

“In this time of great grief, we are thankful to be here paying our respects to the Queen for her services to duty, faith, family and the Commonwealth,” he said.

Ms Truss, who took office just days before the Queen died, also spoke on the telephone to the United Arab Emirates president and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Saturday morning.

She is also expected to hold a call with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, on Saturday evening.

Bin Salman’s invitation to the Queen’s funeral is controversial because of his country's human rights record and allegations that its armed forces are committing war crimes in Yemen.

Western intelligence agencies believe that the crown prince authorised the murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 – though he denies this.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancée of the murdered Saudi journalist, said the invitation was a stain on the memory of Queen Elizabeth II and called for the country’s de facto leader to be arrested when he arrives in London.

No 10 did not elaborate on why Ms Truss would no longer be meeting with Mr Biden on Sunday as had been planned.

It said only that she “will now hold a full bilateral meeting with US president Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, instead of the meeting in Downing Street tomorrow”.

Chevening, traditionally the seat of the foreign secretary, was used for the in-person meetings on Saturday because the prime minister’s country house Chequers is said to be under “routine maintenance” after Boris Johnson’s departure.