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List of dignitaries at the state funeral of John F. Kennedy

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Nations that attended the funeral (blue) or whose dignitaries arrived too late, but attended Lyndon B. Johnson's reception on November 25 (pink).
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This article is part of
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John F. Kennedy
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35th President of the United States
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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.[7][8] In all, 220 foreign dignitaries from 92 countries, five international agencies, and the papacy attended the funeral.[9][10] The dignitaries including 19 heads of state and government and members of royal families.[11] This was the largest gathering of foreign statesmen in the history of the United States.[12]

Foreign delegations

A

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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[13]
Minister of Foreign Relations
Secretary of War
Australia Alister McMullin President of the Senate[14][4]
Austria Alfons Gorbach Chancellor[15]

B

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Bahamas Roland Theodore Symonette Premier-designate
Belgium Baudouin
Paul-Henri Spaak 		King
Minister of Foreign Affairs[16]
Bolivia Enrique Sánchez de Lozada Ambassador to the United States
Brazil João Augusto de Araújo Castro
Auro de Moura Andrade
Vitorino Freire
Antônio 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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Cambodia Prince Norodom Kantol Prime Minister[17][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 Sotomayor 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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Denmark Jens Otto Krag Prime Minister[18]

E

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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[19][20]
Chief of the Defence Staff
Secretary General of the President

G

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
West Germany[21] Heinrich Lübke
Ludwig Erhard
Gerhard Schröder
Kai-Uwe von Hassel
Willy Brandt 		President[22]
Chancellor[23]
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Defence
Mayor of West Berlin
Ghana Miguel A. Ribeiro
Kwesi Armah
Alex Quaison-Sackey 		Ambassador to the United States
High Commissioner in London
Representative to the United Nations
Greece Frederica
Sofoklis Venizelos 		Queen consort (representing the King)[9][22][24]
Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister[15]
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

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Country Person Title
Haiti Carlet Auguste Ambassador to the United Nations
Holy See Rev. Egidio Vagnozzi Apostolic Delegate
Hungary Hungary Péter Mód First Deputy Foreign Minister

I

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Iceland Guðmundur Ívarsson Guðmundsson Foreign Minister
India Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Delegate to the United Nations[25]
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[26][27][28]
Minister of External Affairs[15]
Son of Éamon de Valera[15]
Israel Zalman Shazar
Golda Meir 		President
Foreign Minister
Italy Cesare Merzagora
Attilio Piccioni
Piero Vinci
Guerino Roberti
Emiliano Scotti 		President of the Senate[15]
Foreign Minister[4]
Foreign Ministry chef du cabinet
Assistant Chief of Protocol
Military Counselor to the President
Ivory Coast Philippe Yacé
Camille Alliali 		President of the National Assembly
Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs

J

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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[29] Hayato Ikeda
Masayoshi Ōhira 		Prime Minister[30]
Foreign Minister[31]
Jordan Antone Atallah Foreign Minister

K

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
South Korea Park Chung-hee Acting President[22]

L

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Laos 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 Libya Wahbi al-Bouri Representative to the United Nations
Luxembourg Jean
Eugène Schaus 		Hereditary Grand Duke (representing the Grand Duchess)
Foreign Minister

M

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Madagascar 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[13]
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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Nepal Nepal Matrika Prasad Koirala Ambassador to the United States
Netherlands Bernhard
Beatrix
Joseph Luns 		Prince (representing the Queen)[13]
Crown Princess[25][15][32]
Minister of Foreign Affairs[32]
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 (representing the King)[33][6]
Prime Minister[33]

P

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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[34][23]
First Lady[34]
Poland 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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Romania Romania Mircea Malița Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

S

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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 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[35]
Spain Agustín Muñoz Grandes First Vice President of the Government[36][37]
Sweden Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland
Tage Erlander
Olof Palme 		Prince of Sweden (representing the King)[33]
Prime Minister[33]
Minister Without Portfolio
Switzerland Friedrich Traugott Wahlen
Pierre Michell 		Chief of the Political Department[38]
Secretary General of the Political Department

T

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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[25][6][38]
Minister of Foreign Affairs

U

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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)[39]
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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country 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

<tbody> </tbody>
Country Person Title
Yugoslavia Koča Popović
Petar Stambolić 		Foreign Minister
Prime Minister

International organizations

<tbody> </tbody>
Organization Person Title
European Atomic Energy Community Netherlands Maan Sassen Member of the Council
European Coal and Steel Community Belgium Albert Coppé
France Jean Monnet 		Vice President
Former President[43]
European Economic Community Belgium Jean Rey President
<tbody> </tbody>
Organization Person Title
United Nations United Nations[44] Myanmar U Thant
United States Ralph Bunche
United States Paul G. Hoffman
United States Maurice Pate
David Vaughan
Venezuela Carlos Sosa Rodríguez and wife
United Kingdom 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

Various 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:

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b NBC News 1966, pp. 107, 109–110, 114–115, 120
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Ball, George (1982). The Past Has Another Pattern. New York: W.W. Norton Company. pp. 314-315. ISBN 9780393014815.
  4. ^ a b c Duscha, Julius (November 25, 1963). "Kings, Presidents and Premiers Here". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  5. ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 414–415
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Nash, Knowlton (1984). History on the Run: the Trenchcoat Memoirs of a Foreign Correspondent. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. p. 154.
  7. ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 369, 372
  8. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 140, 157
  9. ^ a b Associated Press 1963, p. 93
  10. ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 463, 537
  11. ^ NBC News 1966, p. 140
  12. ^ NBC News 1966, p. 87
  13. ^ a b c NBC News 1966, p. 107
  14. ^ a b "'Duty' Kept Menzies in Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 27, 1963. p. 7.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Foreign Notables Depart For Home". The New York Times. November 27, 1963. p. 18.
  16. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 114, 156
  17. ^ Robertson, Nan (November 27, 1963). "Hundreds Visit Kennedy Grave". The New York Times. p. 18.
  18. ^ "Head of State Visits". LBJ Presidential Library. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
  19. ^ United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 122
  20. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 66, 110
  21. ^ Rue, Larry (November 25, 1963). "Germans Send Delegation to Kennedy Rites". The Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  22. ^ a b c United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 108
  23. ^ a b United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, pp. 108–109
  24. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 73, 87
  25. ^ a b c NBC News 1966, p. 156
  26. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 121, 156
  27. ^ United Press International & American Heritage Magazine 1964, p. 94
  28. ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 378
  29. ^ The New York Times 2003, pp. 120, 409
  30. ^ NBC News 1966, pp. 66, 107, 109, 152, 156
  31. ^ Sell, Ted (November 24, 1963). "Japan Sends Foreign Minister to Funeral". The Los Angeles Times. p. 24.
  32. ^ a b The New York Times 2003, p. 374
  33. ^ a b c d "Political Leaders and Royalty Arrive for Kennedy's Funeral". The Chicago Tribune. November 25, 1963. p. 3.
  34. ^ a b NBC News 1966, p. 152
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ "Many Nations Share America's Grief". The New York Times. November 24, 1963. p. 6.
  37. ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 404
  38. ^ a b Marder, Murrey (November 27, 1963). "Many Talks Held With Dignitaries". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  39. ^ a b NBC News 1966, pp. 57, 64, 120, 156
  40. ^ Veysey, Arthur (November 24, 1963). "Britons Fill Churches to Pay Homage". The Chicago Tribune. p. 1.11.
  41. ^ NBC News 1966, p. 120
  42. ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 416
  43. ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 537
  44. ^ a b c d e f g NBC News 1966, pp. 152, 156
  45. ^ a b The New York Times 2003, pp. 118–119
  46. ^ "World's Top Leaders Will Attend Funeral". The Los Angeles Times. November 24, 1963. p. 1.
  47. ^ NBC News 1966, p. 157
  48. ^ "'A Sudden Extinction of a Shining Light'". The Washington Post. November 26, 1963. p. A11.
  49. ^ "People Around the World Join Americans in Mourning Death of Their President". The New York Times. November 26, 1963. p. 12.
  50. ^ "Pope Paul Prayed and Italy's President Wept". Life. Vol. 55, no. 23. December 6, 1963. pp. 122–123.
  51. ^ "Segni Attends Mass Celebrated By Spellman to Honor Kennedy". The New York Times. November 26, 1963. p. 12.
  52. ^ Associated Press 1963, p. 49
  53. ^ The New York Times 2003, p. 420

Bibliography

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