Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) Taiwan's top representative to the United Kingdom has signed the book of condolence for Queen Elizabeth II under the invitation from the British government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Sunday, after the country was not invited to attend the queen's funeral.
In a press release, MOFA said Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵) was "specially invited" by the British government to sign the condolence book at Lancaster House, which is run by the country's foreign office. MOFA did not say when he signed the book.
The special arrangement means the Taiwanese representative is enjoying the same treatment as "members of the royal family, heads of state, representatives of other countries who have gone to Britain to mourn," MOFA said.
The arrangement was made after MOFA said last week that Taiwan would not receive an official invitation to the queen's funeral on Sept. 19 due to the lack of official diplomatic ties between the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name) and the UK.
However, Remus Chen (陳立國), head of MOFA's Department of European Affairs, said Taiwan's government has expressed its wish to mourn the death of the queen on behalf of its people in some other "appropriate ways" and was still waiting for the British government's response.
According to the British government's guidance, only nations with which the U.K. has diplomatic relations are invited to pay their respects at the state funeral that will take place at Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m. on Sept. 19.
Like most countries in the world, the United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China instead of the Republic of China.
The invitation to sign the condolence book came "based on the importance attached to Taiwan-Britain relations and the precious friendship between the two peoples," it added.
Aside from mourning the passing of the late queen, the Taiwan government also congratulated King Charles III on his ascension to the British throne, while extending its sincere wishes for the continued prosperity of the United Kingdom under the leadership of the new monarch, according to MOFA.
Meanwhile in Taipei, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) visited the British Office Taipei, the de facto U.K. embassy in Taiwan, on Thursday to sign the book of condolence prepared by the office for people to pay respect to the late queen.
The queen "died peacefully" at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Buckingham Palace said in a brief statement on Sept. 8, just two days after she officially appointed Liz Truss of the Conservative Party as the U.K.'s new prime minister.
Between 1952 and 2022, Elizabeth II was the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, making her the longest serving British monarch in history.
