LONDON: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah attended a reception hosted by King Charles III and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, for about 500 visiting heads of state at Buckingham Palace last night.
Al-Sultan Abdullah was in a black baju Melayu with gold thread songket complete with a songkok, while Tunku Hajah Azizah wore a black top with sarung at one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in recent years.
Attending the reception on the eve of the burial of Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle were United States President Joe Biden and wife Jill, and French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
Leaders from the Commonwealth included Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah and President Halimah Yacob of Singapore.
Amid tight security, many world leaders, including Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Hajah Azizah, had earlier gathered at the Royal Hospital Chelsea nearby before being taken by bus to the palace.
The reception was held at the picture gallery and state apartments, and in attendance were the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Anne.
Al-Sultan Abdullah met most of the monarchs and heads of state at the reception.
The royal couple are on a six-day visit on an official invitation of the British government.
Today, the king and queen will attend the funeral service at Westminster Abbey where King Charles III will lead the nation in mourning for its longest-reigning monarch.
Queen Elizabeth's coffin will be transported from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle's St George IV Memorial Chapel, where she will be laid to rest alongside her mother, father, sister and her husband, Prince Philip, who died last year.
The queen's lying in state closed at 6.30am (1.30pm Malaysian time) today. It was estimated that 400,000 mourners passed through Westminster Hall over the past five days.