Mourners attending the Queen Mother's funeral were drawn from the worlds of politics and royalty, both at home and abroad.

A contingent of 25 members of royal families from across Europe were joined by royals from further afield, including Jordan and Brunei.

Among the first to arrive, mostly descendants of Queen Victoria, were Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein, and former monarchs King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Other foreign royalty at the service included King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania, Prince Ernst-August of Hanover with his wife the former Princess Caroline of Monaco, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, and King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Close friends

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain also attended. The king lost his own mother two years ago and was one of the first to offer his condolences to the Queen.

Camilla Parker Bowles, the Prince of Wales' long-term partner, arrived at the funeral looking sombre beneath a large-brimmed black hat.

Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived with his wife Cherie

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, arrived just before 1100 BST, and her two daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, followed with the Royal party.

World leaders included Australian Prime Minister John Howard. He was joined by the US First Lady, Laura Bush.

British prime ministers past and present filed in, alongside leading figures from horse-racing and close personal friends of the Queen Mother.

In one choir stall prime ministers from three decades sat alongside each other as Lord Callaghan joined Baroness Thatcher, with her husband Sir Denis, and John Major with his wife Norma.

Security

Lord Callaghan had earlier paid his respects at the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall on Monday night, standing quietly by the Queen Mother's coffin.

Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived with wife Cherie at 1025 BST, more than an hour before the service began. He nodded at mourners and members of the Cabinet as he was led to his seat.

Other leading politicians included Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith with his wife, as well as Lord Owen, Lord Steel and Leader of the Commons Robin Cook, who shared a love of horseracing with the Queen Mother.

Camilla Parker Bowles was invited by the Queen

Margaret Beckett, the rural affairs secretary, was seen in conversation with former Lord Callaghan.

Other mourners included General Sir Mike Jackson, who led Nato forces in Kosovo, society photographer Lord Lichfield and novelist Dick Francis.

The United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, and Nato Secretary General Lord Robertson also attended.

Police laid on an elaborate security operation with 2,500 officers supported by Special Branch, the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Diplomatic Protection Group.

Officers trained in personal protection were also drafted in from other forces and armed police units.