Lying in state

While the practice differs among countries, in the United States, a viewing in a location other than a government building, such as a church, may be referred to as lying in repose.

Guards stand at each corner with heads bowed and weapons inverted (resting on Arms reversed) with their backs turned towards the casket.

[4][5] Upon his death in October 2012, 24th lieutenant governor of Ontario and former member of parliament Lincoln Alexander received only the second provincial state funeral in the province.

[7] Alexander lay in state in the Ontario Legislative Building in Toronto then in repose in Hamilton City Hall, his hometown.

Members of the public were able to sign books of condolence at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building and Government House in Regina and city hall in Saskatoon.

Premier Scott Moe stated that flags in the province would fly at half-mast until sunset on the day of Malloy's funeral, which was later scheduled for 13 July.

[12] During the time of the Soviet Union (1917–1991), the state funerals of the most senior political and military leaders, such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko all followed the same basic outline.

They took place in Moscow, beginning with a public lying in state of the deceased in the House of the Unions, and ending with an interment at Red Square.

For the lying in state at the House of the Unions, the coffin would be placed on display in the Column Hall, which would be decorated by flowers, numerous red flags and other communist symbols.

On the stage at the left side of the Column Hall, a full orchestra in black tailcoats played classical music.

The deceased's embalmed body, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and a tie, was displayed in an open coffin on a catafalque banked with carnations, red roses and tulips, facing the queue of mourners.

At the right side of the hall, seats were placed for guests of honour, with the front row reserved for the dead leader's family.

[13] Vigil guards were stationed at the public lying in state of Goh Keng Swee in May 2010,[14] Lee Kuan Yew in March 2015,[15] and S. R. Nathan in August 2016.

At a State Funeral, the guard detachment consists of ten members, with six drawn from the Sovereign's Bodyguard and four from the Household Division.

[25] All Queen Elizabeth II's children took guard at 19:40 BST on 12 September 2022 at the lying-in-repose at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh.

[26] As part of the late Queen's lying in state in London, at 19:30 BST on 16 September 2022, her four children stood vigil for the second time.

[29] The first British monarch to lie in state in Westminster Hall was King Edward VII in 1910, apparently following William Gladstone in 1898.

By regulation and custom, only presidents, military commanders, justices of the Supreme Court, and members of Congress are granted the honour of lying in state.

Since then, the honour has been extended to 36 people, including 12 presidents and four unknown soldiers, representing U.S. service members who have died without their remains being identified.

[39] Senator Dianne Feinstein, who served as San Francisco mayor from 1978 to 1988, also lay in state in the rotunda on 4 October 2023, prior to a funeral service the following day.

Senator Spark Matsunaga in 1990, famous Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole upon his death in 1997, U.S. Representative Patsy Mink in 2002, former U.S.

[45][46] During funeral rites of civil rights icon Rosa Parks in Detroit in November 2005, she lay in repose at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History before services and burial.

[48] Upon the deaths of singer-songwriter Aretha Franklin in August 2018 and former Congresswoman Barbara-Rose Collins in November 2021, both women were also honoured at the Wright Museum.