This is a list of dignitaries at the state funeral of John F. Kennedy. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, and his state funeral took place on November 25, 1963, in Washington, D.C.
As President Kennedy lay in state, foreign dignitaries—including heads of state and government and members of royal families—started to arrive in Washington to attend the state funeral on Monday.[1] Secretary of State Dean Rusk and other State Department personnel went to both of Washington's commercial airports to personally greet foreign dignitaries.[1][2][3]
With so many foreign dignitaires attending the funeral, some law enforcement officials, including MPDC Chief Robert V. Murray, later said that it was the biggest security nightmare they ever faced.[4][5][6]
Not since the funeral of Britain's King Edward VII, in 1910, had there been such a large gathering of presidents, prime ministers, and royalty at a state funeral.[4][6][7] In all, 220 foreign dignitaries from 92 countries, five international agencies, and the papacy attended the funeral.[8][9] The dignitaries including 19 heads of state and government and members of royal families.[10] This was the largest gathering of foreign statesmen in the history of the United States.[11]
Foreign delegations
editA
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Assadullah Seraj | Ambassador to France |
Algeria | Abdelkadir Chanderil Abdelaziz Bouteflika El Hadj Benalla Amar Ouzegane Cherif Guellal |
Ambassador to the United Nations President of the National Assembly Foreign Minister Minister of State Ambassador to the United States |
Argentina | Carlos Humberto Perette Miguel Ángel Zavala Ortiz Ignacio Ávalos |
Vice President[12] Minister of Foreign Relations Secretary of War |
Australia | Alister McMullin | President of the Senate[13][4] |
Austria | Alfons Gorbach | Chancellor[14] |
B
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Bahamas | Roland Theodore Symonette | Premier-designate |
Belgium | Baudouin Paul-Henri Spaak |
King Minister of Foreign Affairs[15] |
Bolivia | Enrique Sánchez de Lozada | Ambassador to the United States |
Brazil | João Augusto de Araújo Castro Auro Mora Andrade Zitorino Freire Antonio Carlos Konder Reis Roberto de Oliveira Campos |
Foreign Minister President of the Senate Majority Leader of the Senate Minority Leader of the Senate Ambassador to the United States |
Bulgaria | Milko Tarabanov | Deputy Foreign Minister |
Burundi | Léon Ndenzako | Ambassador to the United States |
C
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Cambodia | Prince Norodom Kantol | Prime Minister[16][6] |
Cameroon | Benoît Balla-Ondoux | Foreign Minister |
Canada[6] | Lester B. Pearson Paul Martin Sr. |
Prime Minister Secretary of State for External Affairs |
Chile | Carlos Martínez | Representative to the United Nations |
China | Tsiang Tingfu | Ambassador to the United States |
Colombia | Alberto Lleras Camargo | Former President |
Congo-Brazzaville | Emmanuel Damongo-Dadet | Ambassador to the United States |
Congo-Léopoldville | Jacques Masangu | Deputy Premier |
Costa Rica | José Figueres Ferrer | Former President |
Cyprus | Zenon Rossides | Ambassador to the United States |
Czechoslovakia | Jiří Hájek | Representative to the United Nations |
D
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Denmark | Jens Otto Krag | Prime Minister[17] |
E
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Ecuador | Neftali Ponce Miranda | Foreign Minister |
El Salvador | Héctor Escobar Serrano | Foreign Minister |
Ethiopia | Haile Selassie I Ras Andargachew Messai Eskinder Desta Teferawork Kidane-Wold Lij Kassa Woldemariam |
Emperor Governor of Sidamo Commander of the Ethiopian Navy Minister of the Pen President of Haile Selassie I University |
F
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Finland | Veli Merikoski | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
France | Charles de Gaulle Maurice Couve de Murville Charles Ailleret Étienne Burin des Roziers |
President Minister of Foreign Affairs[18][19] Chief of the Defence Staff Secretary General of the President |
G
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
West Germany[20] | Heinrich Lübke Ludwig Erhard Gerhard Schröder Kai-Uwe von Hassel Willy Brandt |
President[21] Chancellor[22] Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Defence Mayor of West Berlin |
Ghana | Miguel A. Ribeiro K. Armah Alex Quaison-Sackey |
Ambassador to the United States High Commissioner in London Representative to the United Nations |
Greece | Frederica Sofoklis Venizelos |
Queen consort[8][21][23] Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister[14] |
Guatemala | Alberto Herrarte González José de Dios Agular |
Foreign Minister Private Secretary to the Government |
Guinea | Saifonlaye Diallo Leon Maka Alessane Dioh |
Minister of State President of the National Assembly Minister of Communications |
H
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Haiti | Carlet Auguste | Ambassador to the United Nations |
Holy See | Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi | Apostolic Delegate |
Hungary | Péter Mód | First Deputy Foreign Minister |
I
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Iceland | Guðmundur Ívarsson Guðmundsson | Foreign Minister |
India | Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit | Delegate to the United Nations[24] |
Indonesia | Abdul Haris Nasution Sudjarwo Tjondronegoro |
Minister for Defense and Security Affairs Deputy Foreign Minister |
Iran | Gholam Reza Pahlavi Abbas Aram |
Prince (representing the Shah) Foreign Minister |
Iraq | Ali Haidar Sulaiman | Ambassador to the United States |
Ireland | Éamon de Valera Frank Aiken Vivion de Valera |
President[25][26][27] Minister of External Affairs[14] Son of Éamon de Valera[14] |
Israel | Zalman Shazar Golda Meir |
President Foreign Minister |
Italy | Cesare Merzagora Attilio Piccioni Piero Vinci Guerino Roberti Emiliano Scotti |
President of the Senate[14] Foreign Minister[4] Foreign Ministry chef du cabinet Assistant Chief of Protocol Military Counselor to the President |
Ivory Coast | Phillipe Yace Camille Alliali |
President of the National Assembly Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs |
J
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Jamaica | Alexander Bustamante Paul Cook James Lloyd Noel Crosswell |
Prime Minister[6] Chief of Staff Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Chief of Police |
Japan[28] | Hayato Ikeda Masayoshi Ōhira |
Prime Minister[29] Foreign Minister[30] |
Jordan | Antone Atallah | Foreign Minister |
K
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
South Korea | Park Chung-hee | Acting President[21] |
L
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Laos | Tiao Khampan Sisouk na Champassak |
Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador to India |
Lebanon | Ibrahim Ahdab George Hakim |
Ambassador to the United States Representative to the United Nations |
Liberia | William R. Tolbert, Jr. J. Rudolph Grimes |
Vice-President Secretary of State |
Libya | Wahbi al-Bouri | Representative to the United Nations |
Luxembourg | Jean Eugène Schaus |
Hereditary Grand Duke (representing the Grand Duchess) Foreign Minister |
M
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Madagascar | Louis Rakotomalala | Permanent Representative to the United Nations |
Mali | R. E. Oumar Sow | Representative to the United Nations |
Mexico | Manuel Tello Baurraud | Secretary of Foreign Affairs[12] |
Morocco | Moulay Abdallah Ahmed Reda Guedira Mohammad Ziani Abdelkader Benjelloun Ali Benjelloun Ahmed Taibi Benhima Badir din Senoussi Mohamed Meziane Moulay Hafid |
Prince (representing the King) Foreign Minister Attaché to the Cabinet of the Foreign Minister Minister of Justice Ambassador Permanent Representative to the United Nations Attaché to the Royal Cabinet Inspector General of the Armed Forces Director General of Royal Protocol |
N
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Nepal | Matrika Prasad Koirala | Ambassador to the United States |
Netherlands | Bernhard Beatrix Joseph Luns |
Prince (representing the Queen)[12] Crown Princess[24][14][31] Minister of Foreign Affairs[31] |
New Zealand | R. E. George Laking | Ambassador to the United States |
Nicaragua | Luis Somoza Debayle Alfonso Ortega Urbina |
Senator and Former President Foreign Minister |
Norway | Harald Einar Gerhardsen |
Crown Prince[32][6] Prime Minister[32] |
P
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Pakistan | Zulfikar Ali Bhutto | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
Panama | Galileo Solís Arturo Morgan Morales |
Minister of Foreign Affairs |
Paraguay | Juan Plate | Ambassador to the United Nations |
Peru | Víctor Andrés Belaúnde | Permanent Representative to the United Nations |
Philippines | Diosdado Macapagal Eva Macapagal |
President[33][22] First Lady[33] |
Poland | Stanisław Kulczyński Piotr Jaroszewicz |
Deputy Chairman of the Council of State Deputy Prime Minister |
Portugal | Luís Supico Pinto | President of the Corporative Chamber |
R
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Romania | Mircea Malița | Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs |
S
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Saudi Arabia | Rashad Pharaon Abdallah Hababi |
Ambassador to France Chargé d'affaires in Washington |
Sierra Leone | John Karefa-Smart | Minister of External Affairs |
Somalia | Mohammed Ali Daar | Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs |
South Africa | Dr. Willem C. Naude | Ambassador to the United Nations |
Soviet Union | Anastas Mikoyan | First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers[34] |
Spain | Agustín Muñoz Grandes | First Vice President of the Government[35][36] |
Sweden | Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland Tage Erlander Olof Palme |
Prince of Sweden[32] Prime Minister[32] Minister Without Portfolio |
Switzerland | Friedrich Traugott Wahlen Pierre Michell |
Chief of the Political Department[37] Secretary General of the Political Department |
T
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Tanganyika | Chief Erasto A.M. Mangyenya | Permanent Representative to the United Nations |
Thailand | Thanat Khoman | Foreign Minister |
Trinidad and Tobago | Sir Ellis E.I. Clarke | Ambassador to the United States |
Tunisia | Bahi Ladgham Mongi Slim Taieb Slim Habib Bourguiba, Jr. Hachemi Quanes |
Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs Permanent Representative to the United States Ambassador |
Turkey | İsmet İnönü Feridun Cemal Erkin |
Prime Minister[24][6][37] Minister of Foreign Affairs |
U
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Uganda | Apollo Kironde | Ambassador |
United Arab Republic | Mahmoud Fawzi | Minister of Foreign Affairs |
United Kingdom | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Alec Douglas-Home Elizabeth Douglas-Home Harold Wilson Jo Grimond |
Consort to the British Monarch (representing the Queen)[38] Prime Minister[39] Spouse of the Prime Minister[40] Leader of the Opposition[41][6] Leader of the Liberal Party[42] |
Uruguay | Juan Felipe Yriart | Ambassador |
V
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Venezuela | Rolando Leandro Mora Antonio Briceño Linares |
Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister of Defence |
South Vietnam | Tran Chanh Thanh | Ambassador-designate |
Y
editCountry | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
Yugoslavia | Koča Popović Petar Stambolić |
Foreign Minister Prime Minister |
International organizations
editOrganization | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
European Atomic Energy Community | Maan Sassen | Member of the Council |
European Coal and Steel Community | Albert Coppé Jean Monnet |
Vice President Former President[43] |
European Economic Community | Jean Rey | President |
Organization | Person | Title |
---|---|---|
United Nations[44] | U Thant Ralph Bunche Paul G. Hoffman Maurice Pate David Vaughan Carlos Sosa Rodríguez and wife Sir Patrick Dean Dr. Louis Alvarado David Blanchard |
Secretary-General of the United Nations[44][45] Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs[44] Managing Director of the United Nations Special Fund[44] Executive Director of UNICEF[44] Director of General Services[44] President of the General Assembly[45][44] and wife President of the United Nations Security Council[46] International Labour Organization International Labour Organization |
Prominent Absences
editVarious world leaders and statesmen did not attend the slain president's funeral. Those not present attended memorial services in their respective countries.[47][48][49] Some of the key notable absences included:
- Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies, citing the ongoing election campaign[13]
- Italian President Antonio Segni, who could not make the trip because of the flu[50][51]
- Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, on account of the helicopter crash on the same day as the assassination[52][53]
- Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev[54]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ a b NBC News 1966, pp. 107, 109–110, 114–115, 120
- ^ Rusk, Dean (1990). Rusk, Richard; Papp, Daniel S. (eds.). As I Saw It. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 321. ISBN 0-393-02650-7.
- ^ Ball, George (1982). The Past Has Another Pattern. New York: W.W. Norton Company. pp. 314-315. ISBN 9780393014815.
- ^ a b c d Duscha, Julius (November 25, 1963). "Kings, Presidents and Premiers Here". The Washington Post. p. A1.
- ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 414–415
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nash, Knowlton (1984). History on the Run: the Trenchcoat Memoirs of a Foreign Correspondent. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. p. 154.
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 140, 157
- ^ a b Associated Press 1963, p. 93
- ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 463, 537
- ^ NBC News 1966, p. 140
- ^ NBC News 1966, p. 87
- ^ a b c NBC News 1966, p. 107
- ^ a b "'Duty' Kept Menzies in Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 27, 1963. p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e f "Foreign Notables Depart For Home". The New York Times. November 27, 1963. p. 18.
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 114, 156
- ^ Robertson, Nan (November 27, 1963). "Hundreds Visit Kennedy Grave". The New York Times. p. 18.
- ^ "Head of State Visits". LBJ Presidential Library. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 122
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 66, 110
- ^ Rue, Larry (November 25, 1963). "Germans Send Delegation to Kennedy Rites". The Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ a b c United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 108
- ^ a b United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, pp. 108–109
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 73, 87
- ^ a b c NBC News 1966, p. 156
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 121, 156
- ^ United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 94
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 378
- ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 120, 409
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 66, 107, 109, 152, 156
- ^ Sell, Ted (November 24, 1963). "Japan Sends Foreign Minister to Funeral". The Los Angeles Times. p. 24.
- ^ a b The New York Times 2003, p. 374
- ^ a b c d "Political Leaders and Royalty Arrive for Kennedy's Funeral". The Chicago Tribune. November 25, 1963. p. 3.
- ^ a b NBC News 1966, p. 152
- ^ Leffler, Melvyn P. (2007). For the Soul of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War. New York: Hill and Wang. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-8090-9717-3.
- ^ "Many Nations Share America's Grief". The New York Times. November 24, 1963. p. 6.
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 404
- ^ a b Marder, Murrey (November 27, 1963). "Many Talks Held With Dignitaries". The Washington Post. p. A1.
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 64, 120, 156
- ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 57, 64, 120, 156
- ^ Veysey, Arthur (November 24, 1963). "Britons Fill Churches to Pay Homage". The Chicago Tribune. p. 1.11.
- ^ NBC News 1966, p. 120
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 416
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 537
- ^ a b c d e f g NBC News 1966, pp. 152, 156
- ^ a b The New York Times 2003, pp. 118–119
- ^ "World's Top Leaders Will Attend Funeral". The Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1963. p. 1.
- ^ NBC News 1966, p. 157
- ^ "'A Sudden Extinction of a Shining Light'". The Washington Post. November 26, 1963. p. A11.
- ^ "People Around the World Join Americans in Mourning Death of Their President". The New York Times. November 26, 1963. p. 12.
- ^ "Pope Paul Prayed and Italy's President Wept". Life. Vol. 55, no. 23. December 6, 1963. pp. 122–123.
- ^ "Segni Attends Mass Celebrated By Spellman to Honor Kennedy". The New York Times. November 26, 1963. p. 12.
- ^ Associated Press 1963, p. 49
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 420
- ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 372
Bibliography
edit- Associated Press (1963). The Torch is Passed. New York: Creative Media Partners.
- United Press International; American Heritage Magazine (1964). Four Days. New York: American Heritage Pub. Co.
- NBC News (1966). There Was a President. New York: Random House.
- The New York Times (2003). Semple, Robert B. Jr. (ed.). Four days in November. New York: St. Martin's Press.