ORGANISERS of Baroness Thatcher's funeral are still hoping US President Barack Obama and his immediate predecessors in the White House will attend next Wednesday's event.
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul closely associated with the late prime minister, who was regularly invited for Christmas lunch at No 10 during her premiership, is unlikely to attend.
The 82-year-old News Corp boss is said to be due at a company board meeting in New York on the day of the funeral.
However, a company insider noted: "This may change."
No 10 yesterday released details of more of those who have said they will attend.
Foreign politicians include Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, John Howard, the former prime minister of Australia, and Newt Gingrich, the Republican politician and former Speaker of the US House of Representatives.
British guests include Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world-wide web, Andrew Neil, the broadcaster and former editor of The Sunday Times, Michael Crawford, the actor, and Katherine Jenkins, the singer.
Meanwhile, it has been revealed MPs and peers will be able to pay their respects to Lady Thatcher in Westminster's Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on the eve of her funeral.
The chapel will be open on Tuesday evening so that members and staff from both Houses can visit the former PM's coffin.
Around 100 people will also be invited to a short service led by the Dean of Westminster welcoming her body to the chapel, Downing Street said.
Officials said Lady Thatcher had requested that her body rest overnight in the historic chapel, and said the Queen had given her consent.
More than 2000 invitations to attend the funeral have been issued.
The attendees will be led by Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh and will include Prime Minister David Cameron, former premiers Sir John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown as well as the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Alex Salmond, Carwyn Jones and Peter Robinson.
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