Presidential sister Irene Marcos Araneta will be President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s special representative to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Malacañang announced.
"Mrs. Irene Romualdez Marcos Araneta will be the President’s Special Representative who will attend the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a statement late Sunday, Sept. 18.
She will be accompanied by her spouse, Gregorio María Araneta III, Angeles added.
The Press Secretary disclosed that the president's sister and her husband "will be attending the events for the state funeral beginning with the lying-in-state of the Queen taking place today."
The departed Queen's funeral will take place on Monday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. United Kingdom time.
She passed away on Sept. 8.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral service is expected to be attended by 2,000 guests.
The President could not make it to the funeral state as he embarked on a trip to the United States on Sunday morning to participate in the high-level discussions at the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.