Nelson Mandela’s memorial on Tuesday at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium promises to be one of the largest such gatherings in generations.

The White House says President Barack Obama will travel to South Africa next week to pay respects, but it didn’t say whether he will attend the memorial or the smaller funeral on Dec. 15 in Mandela’s hometown. If history is a guide, dozens of other presidents, prime ministers and royals are expected to pay their respects.

Here is a look at memorials in recent decades that drew the world’s attention — and its leaders.

—Winston Churchill: His 1965 funeral was attended by “Four kings, two queens, presidents — including France’s Gen. Charles de Gaulle in uniform — prime ministers and statesmen from 113 nations,” The Associated Press reported. Hundreds of thousands of people had paid tribute while his body lay in state three days, and thousands lined the route to the funeral service.

—Pope John Paul II: His 2005 funeral drew President George W. Bush and French President Jacques Chirac among “dignitaries from more than 80 countries, including the presidents of Syria and Iran, and the king of Jordan,” the AP reported. “At least 300,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square … but millions of others watched on giant video screens set up across Rome.”

—President John F. Kennedy: His 1963 funeral was attended by “28 presidents, prime ministers and kings.” As his horse-drawn coffin moved through Washington, “streets were lined by hundreds of thousands of people, many of them weeping.”

—Yitzhak Rabin: The 1995 funeral for the assassinated Israeli prime minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner was attended by President Bill Clinton and more than 40 other presidents or prime ministers, including some Arab ones. “It was a collection of heads of states that only three years ago would have been unimaginable,” the AP reported.

—Princess Diana: While her 1997 funeral drew British Prime Minister Tony Blair, then-U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and numerous foreign dignitaries, “organizers said they wanted to keep the number of politicians low to accommodate Diana’s friends and people connected with charities she supported.”

—Mao Zedong: While a million people attended a memorial rally in Beijing for the Chinese leader in 1976, the government that long had largely closed itself off from the world continued the practice that day. “No foreign dignitaries were invited to Peking for the rally,” the AP reported.

—Anwar Sadat: Three former U.S. presidents attended the Egyptian president’s 1981 funeral, as well as about a dozen heads of state and Prince Charles and other royalty. Heads of state of other Arab countries largely did not come.

—Nelson Mandela: After the memorial service, Mandela’s body then will lie in state in Pretoria for three days, and he will be buried during a state funeral in his rural hometown of Qunu on Dec. 15.

5 Responses to “Aside from US only 5 other foreign nation leaders ordered flags half staff upon death of Mandela. Dignitaries from 50 out of 193 member U.N. nations (26%) announced that they will attend Mandela’s funeral. According to AP the largest number of nations, (113 out of 117 members of UN in 1965, or 97%), sent dignitaries to Winston Churchill funeral. Churchill was the one to reverse disastrous Neville Chamberlain appeasement policy which led to death of 65 million in WW2. Iran appeaser Obama removed Churchill’s bust from the White House and sent it back to England. How many millions will die as a result of Obama’s policies???”

1. TOM MADISON
   December 9th, 2013 @ 8:37 am

   https://www.wnd.com/2013/12/obama-lies-to-israelis-on-iran-nuke-deal-2/

2. Sandy Beach
   December 9th, 2013 @ 9:23 am

   Some Britons took offense when Winston Churchill’s bust was replaced with King’s. But the decision to return the Churchill bust to the British – it had been presented by former Prime Minister Tony Blair to Bush on loan – had been made before Obama even arrived.
   “It was already scheduled to go back,”
   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-has-made-the-oval-office-his-own/

   a British Embassy spokesman said: ‘The bust of Sir Winston Churchill by Sir Jacob Epstein was uniquely lent to a foreign head of state, President George W. Bush, from the Government Art Collection in the wake of 9/11 as a signal of the strong transatlantic relationship. It was lent for the first term of office of President Bush. When the president was elected for his second and final term, the loan was extended until January 2009.
   The new president has decided not to continue this loan and the bust has now been returned. It is on display at the ambassador’s residence.”

   IT TURNS OUT THERE ARE TWO CHURCHILL BUSTS!!!!!
   The one in the White House residence was a gift to the White House from the British Embassy during the Johnson administration.
   The other one was loaned to President George W. Bush by British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

   Says James Barbour, press secretary and head of communications for the British Embassy, “The bust of Sir Winston Churchill, by Sir Jacob Epstein, was lent to the George W. Bush administration from the U.K.’s government art collection, for the duration of the presidency. When that administration came to an end so did the loan; the bust now resides in the British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington D.C. The White House collection has its own Epstein bust of Churchill, which President Obama showed to Prime Minister Cameron when he visited the White House in March.”
   “That’s not really what’s important here,” Barbour said. “Both President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron have repeatedly underlined that our two countries remain the closest of allies. The Churchill Bust story is a silly diversion – let’s get on and focus on seeing who wins most medals in the Olympics.”

   https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/07/is-the-churchill-bust-controversy-a-total-bust/

3. Veritas
   December 9th, 2013 @ 2:34 pm

   More Obama dismantling of American security and infrastructure (from Drudge):
   ——–

   REPORT: Obamacare could force thousands of volunteer fire departments to close…

4. !JAB!
   December 9th, 2013 @ 9:20 pm

   You’re wrong.

   https://allafrica.com/stories/201312090452.html

5. dr_taitz@yahoo.com
   December 10th, 2013 @ 4:09 am

   so you are saying that aside from US, only 3 other countries ordered their national flags lowered to commemorate the death of a foreign head of state: great Britain, Frnce and Nigeria.
   Scotland is a part of Great Britain and for South Africa Mandela was not foreign

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