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Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday, April 27, at 9 am (UK time), the Vatican announced. The ceremony will initiate nine days of official mourning for the beloved pontiff, known for his humility and progressive vision. As tributes pour in from around the world, preparations are underway for the conclave to elect his successor. The global Catholic community now pauses to honor Francis’ transformative legacy and leadership.
His passing joins the long tradition of world figures honored with solemn farewells. As send-offs go, the state funeral procession is a grand way to depart this world. Popes, politicians, royalty, and even actors and musicians are all included in the list of those who've been afforded this considerable honor—or the next best thing, a special memorial service.
Click through the following gallery and pay your respects to those who were sent off in style.
The late Queen, who died on September 8 at the age of 96, was buried on September 19 in the King George VI memorial chapel alongside her late husband Prince Philip and her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother.
The life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving British consort, was honored on April 17 in an uncharacteristically intimate funeral, with only 30 members of the royal family in attendance. This was, of course, due to the ongoing pandemic regulations. In the moving procession, Philip's children—then-Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew—walked behind his casket, with grandchildren Prince William, Peter Philips, and Prince Harry behind them. At the end of the procession was the late Queen Elizabeth II who rode alongside a lady-in-waiting in the state Bentley. The late Prince's coffin was carried in a Land Rover, and he was placed in the Royal Vault underneath the Quire at St. George's Chapel.
Prince Philip's memorial service was also historic as the late Queen was forced to sit alone due to Covid-19 regulations. She and her late husband of 73 years had been in a bubble with their household for the last year.
The public funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales took place on September 6, 1997. The cortege departed from Kensington Palace for an official ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The procession is pictured passing Buckingham Palace.
The coffin of Argentine first lady Eva Perón is carried past honor guards during her funeral procession on August 9, 1952, after lying in state.
The state funeral of John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, took place in Washington, D.C. on November 25, 1963. Representatives from over 90 countries attended the somber occasion.
The funeral of Pope John Paul II at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy on April 8, 2005.
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was given a ceremonial funeral in London on April 17, 2013.
Singer Jermaine Jackson performs at the Michael Jackson public memorial service held at Staples Center on July 7, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Enormous crowds gathered in New Delhi in India for the January 31, 1948 funeral of Indian statesman and advocate of non-violence Mahatma Gandhi.
The simple mule-drawn wagon carrying the casket of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the April 9, 1968 funeral procession in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mourners gather outside the Dakota building in New York City—the home of John Lennon—on December 9, 1980, the day after the news that he had been shot and killed. A flag flies at half-mast over the building.
A hearse carrying the coffin of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is seen during his funeral procession in Pyongyang on December 28, 2011.
President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser's funeral procession in Cairo on October 1, 1970.
The September 1, 1926 funeral procession of Italian-born silent film actor Rudolph Valentino makes its way along Broadway in New York City. Thousands lined the streets to bid farewell to the screen heartthrob.
The casket containing the body of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins is taken through the streets of Dublin during his funeral procession on August 28, 1922, attended by an estimated 500,000 people.
Elvis Presley's white Cadillac funeral cortege makes its way through Memphis, Tennessee, on August 18, 1977.
Sir Winston Churchill was afforded a state funeral on January 30, 1965. It was attended by representatives from 120 countries, 6,000 people, and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A video of soul singer James Brown is shown during his funeral service on December 30, 2006, at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia, in what was later described as a "Homecoming."
French poet, novelist, and dramatist Victor Hugo was given a state funeral on June 1, 1885, when more than two million people joined the procession in Paris from the Arc de Triomphe to the Panthéon.
The funeral cortege of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, makes its way through Buffalo, New York, on April 27, 1865. It was one of several stops in principal cities and state capitals where ceremonies and processions were held.
The funeral of Queen Victoria took place on February 2, 1901, at Windsor. It was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty ever to take place.
Alexander the Great died on June 10, 323 BCE at the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. Initially interred in Memphis, Egypt, the body was later transferred to Alexandra in a gold carriage pulled by 60 horses for reburial. By the 4th century, his resting place was no longer known.
The state funeral procession of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, took place on June 9, 2004, in Washington, D.C.
Beethoven's funeral procession took place in Vienna on March 29, 1827, witnessed by huge crowds.
Fans and friends of rapper The Notorious B.I.G, also known as Biggie Smalls, turn out to pay their final respects on March 18, 1997, as the funeral procession snakes through Brooklyn.
Large crowds gather outside the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan on June 26, 1969, to pay their last respects to actress and singer Judy Garland.
The funeral cortege of baseball legend Babe Ruth makes its way along Fifth Avenue to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City for a service and requiem mass on August 19, 1948.
Muhammad Ali's funeral procession on June 10, 2016 makes its way through Louisville, Kentucky, the late boxer's birthplace.
South Africa's ex-President Jacob Zuma, together with the ex-wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, and the widow of Mandela, Graça Machel, sit by the coffin of Nelson Mandela on December 15, 2013, during his state funeral.
Mourners surround the body of Ayatollah Khomeini on June 4, 1989, as he lies in state inside a climate-controlled glass box in Tehran, Iran.
By all accounts, crowds attending the murdered Roman leader's funeral adopted a mob mentality, throwing dry branches, furniture, and even clothing onto Caesar's funeral pyre. Pictured is a depiction of Marc Antony's oration at Caesar's funeral.
See also: Must-visit Roman sites and ruins from around the world.
Pope Francis’ funeral set for Saturday at 9 am UK time
The ceremony will mark the beginning of nine official days of mourning
CELEBRITY Funerals
Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday, April 27, at 9 am (UK time), the Vatican announced. The ceremony will initiate nine days of official mourning for the beloved pontiff, known for his humility and progressive vision. As tributes pour in from around the world, preparations are underway for the conclave to elect his successor. The global Catholic community now pauses to honor Francis’ transformative legacy and leadership.
His passing joins the long tradition of world figures honored with solemn farewells. As send-offs go, the state funeral procession is a grand way to depart this world. Popes, politicians, royalty, and even actors and musicians are all included in the list of those who've been afforded this considerable honor—or the next best thing, a special memorial service.
Click through the following gallery and pay your respects to those who were sent off in style.