World leaders and dignitaries from 170 countries will attend the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher amid heavy security at St. Paul's Cathedral in London Wednesday.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth, her husband Prince Phillip, and Prime Minister David Cameron will lead the more than 2,000 guests expected to attend the service. Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and ex-Vice President Dick Cheney will also attend.
Mrs. Thatcher's body was brought Tuesday to Westminster Palace, to rest overnight before the funeral. Her coffin will be carried in a funeral procession Wednesday morning along a central London route lined by members of the British armed forces.
More than 4,000 police also will be deployed as part of a security operation that was increased following Monday's deadly bomb attacks in Boston. Officials say they are well-prepared to deal with the security for the funeral, as well as the London Marathon on Sunday.
Mrs. Thatcher died from a stroke April 8 at the age of 87. Britain's first and only female prime minister, she became one of the country's most influential modern-day leaders during her time in office from 1979 to 1990.