Margaret Thatcher's funeral: Family veto Argentine officials at service On arrival at St Paul's Cathedral, Lady Thatcher's coffin will be met by a guard of honour formed by the 1st Bn Welsh Guards and the Welsh Guards band. The Welsh Guards suffered some of the heaviest losses during the Falklands conflict. Lady Thatcher's coffin will be borne into the cathedral by 10 bearers chosen from units "notable for their service during the Falklands campaign." They will include men from the Paras, the unit which fought the battle of Goose Green and the final assault on Port Stanley; the Royal Navy, which formed the task force of 127 ships; and the Royal Marines, which led the landings at San Carlos Bay. The RAF which gave air support and the Scots Guards who fought the battle for Mount Tumbledown will also be represented. In total, 755 Armed Forces personnel from all three Services will take part in the procession from the Palace of Westminster to St Paul's. All three Services will wear full ceremonial dress while officers will have mourning bands on their parade uniform. Three military bands will play, their drums draped in black, while processional minute guns will be fired every 60 seconds from Tower Wharf at the Tower of London. The coffin will be drawn on a gun carriage by six horses from St Clement Danes Church in the Strand to St Paul's. Chelsea Pensioners will meet the procession on its arrival. Sir Mark and Miss Thatcher have chosen not to give a reading or speech at the funeral. Instead, the Right Rev Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, a long-standing friend of Lady Thatcher, will preach a sermon. A friend of Lady Thatcher said that he regularly attended her Christmas parties, and would often jokingly kneel down and kiss her hand. "She was very fond of him," the friend said. The cost of the funeral has been estimated at more than £6 million, but there are concerns that it could rise even more because of the amount of security required. Downing Street declined to say what the final cost will be. Invitations to the 2,300 guests are being sent out tomorrow, and include 800 former and present MPs and peers. Mikhail Gorbachev is expected to attend, although the widow of Ronald Reagan, Nancy, will be unable to make the trip. She has asked Fred Ryan, chairman of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and a long-time personal friend, to go on her behalf. A spokesman for Mrs Reagan said: "She is heartbroken over Baroness Thatcher's death and would really like to be there in person to pay her respects. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to make that kind of trip. Tony and Cherie Blair will be attending, they confirmed, as will FW de Klerk, the last president of apartheid South Africa. Mr de Klerk, who ordered the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and agreed to negotiations that ended apartheid, earlier paid tribute to Lady Thatcher "not only as one of Britain's greatest prime ministers, but also as a leader whose policies and approach had a significant impact on politics throughout the world." "She gave strong and valued support to me and to all other leaders who were working for a peaceful, prosperous, and constitutional future for South Africa," he said.