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Poland to lay president to rest | Poland to lay president to rest |
(40 minutes later) | |
Thousands of people are gathering in Krakow for the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski. | Thousands of people are gathering in Krakow for the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski. |
After a funeral Mass, the president will be buried in Wawel Cathedral, the resting place of Poland's kings and national heroes. | After a funeral Mass, the president will be buried in Wawel Cathedral, the resting place of Poland's kings and national heroes. |
He and 95 others died eight days ago when their plane crashed in fog en route to a ceremony in Russia. | He and 95 others died eight days ago when their plane crashed in fog en route to a ceremony in Russia. |
Many world leaders cannot attend because flights have been grounded by Iceland's volcano. | Many world leaders cannot attend because flights have been grounded by Iceland's volcano. |
Russian President Dimitri Medvedev has left for Krakow by plane, despite air travel restrictions, a Kremlin spokesman said. | |
Final resting-place | Final resting-place |
The state funeral will begin with a Mass at Krakow's St Mary's Basilica. | |
POLISH FUNERAL SERVICE Not attending: US President Barack Obama; French President Nicolas Sarkozy; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; the UK's Prince of Wales and Foreign Secretary David Miliband; Spanish King Juan Carlos and PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero; Turkish President Abdullah Gul; Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt; Finnish President Tarja Halonen; South Korean PM Chung Un-Chan; Canadian PM Stephen Harper; Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Attending:Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; Czech President Vaclav Klaus; Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic; Slovenian President Danilo Turk; Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych; Latvian President Valdis Zatlers; Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Andrus Ansip; Romanian President Traian Basescu; Hungarian President Lazslo Solyom and PM Gordon Bajnai | |
From the city's mediaeval market square, the coffins of the first couple will be carried along a route lined with Polish flags with black ribbons and photos of Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria. | From the city's mediaeval market square, the coffins of the first couple will be carried along a route lined with Polish flags with black ribbons and photos of Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria. |
Their final resting place will be the royal crypt in the historic Wawel cathedral, alongside the nation's kings and heroes. | Their final resting place will be the royal crypt in the historic Wawel cathedral, alongside the nation's kings and heroes. |
The decision to entomb a leader seen as divisive by many during his lifetime in such a hallowed place has sparked protests. | The decision to entomb a leader seen as divisive by many during his lifetime in such a hallowed place has sparked protests. |
Huge crowds are expected to attend the funeral after a week of national mourning. | Huge crowds are expected to attend the funeral after a week of national mourning. |
The Polish government airliner crashed in western Russia on 10 April. Investigators believe pilot error caused the plane to hit tree-tops in heavy fog in the Smolensk region, where the Polish delegation had meant to attend a memorial for Poles massacred by Stalin's secret police at Katyn in World War II. | The Polish government airliner crashed in western Russia on 10 April. Investigators believe pilot error caused the plane to hit tree-tops in heavy fog in the Smolensk region, where the Polish delegation had meant to attend a memorial for Poles massacred by Stalin's secret police at Katyn in World War II. |
Key Polish political and military leaders were killed in the crash, including the heads of all three branches of Poland's military. | Key Polish political and military leaders were killed in the crash, including the heads of all three branches of Poland's military. |
On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took part in an open-air memorial service in the centre of Warsaw. | On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people took part in an open-air memorial service in the centre of Warsaw. |
US President Barack Obama will not attend Mr Kaczynski's state funeral on Sunday because of the travel chaos across Europe, the White House said. | US President Barack Obama will not attend Mr Kaczynski's state funeral on Sunday because of the travel chaos across Europe, the White House said. |
Other figures unable to attend include the UK's Prince of Wales, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. | Other figures unable to attend include the UK's Prince of Wales, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
A number of eastern European leaders have said they will attend by driving to Krakow. | A number of eastern European leaders have said they will attend by driving to Krakow. |
All airports in Poland remained closed on Saturday, including Balice in Krakow where most of the dignitaries were to arrive on Sunday. | All airports in Poland remained closed on Saturday, including Balice in Krakow where most of the dignitaries were to arrive on Sunday. |
Are you in Krakow? Will you be watching the state funeral? Tell us your experiences using the form below. | Are you in Krakow? Will you be watching the state funeral? Tell us your experiences using the form below. |
A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
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