39th president’s funeral service to be held at Washington national cathedral before he is laid to rest in Georgia
Good morning. Thousands of mourners and living former US presidents will gather at Washington’s national cathedral today for the state funeral of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president.
President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy for his fellow Democrat, with Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and president-elect Donald Trump expected to join about 3,000 mourners at the service. Thursday has been designated a day of national mourning, with federal offices closed.
Biden said in an interview on Wednesday that Carter had asked him to do the honors when the pair met for the last time four years ago. He added: “Carter was a decent man. I think Carter looked at the world not from here but from here, where everybody else lives,” as he gestured from above his head towards his heart.
The service comes after a week of mourning that has seen people pay their respects to Carter as he lay in state in the US capitol after he died on 29 December, aged 100, in his home state of Georgia. His funeral procession began in Georgia before reaching Atlanta and finally being transported to Washington DC.
Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, described Carter as “one of the most decent and humble public servants we have ever seen”.
“President Carter was a living embodiment of leadership through service, compassion, and a thirst for justice for all,” he said.
You can read our obituary for Jimmy Carter here:
7am: Public visitation of Carter’s lying in state ends.
9am: Carter’s casket departs the US Capitol. The funeral motorcade travels to Washington national cathedral, passing by the White House.
9.30am: Carter’s motorcade arrives at Washington national cathedral.
10am: The Washington funeral begins.
11.15am: Carter’s remains and his family depart the cathedral for Joint Base Andrews.
11.45am: They board Special Air Mission 39.
2pm: Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Lawson Army airfield at Fort Moore, Georgia. Carter’s remains will be transferred with ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family then travel to Plains by motorcade.
3.30pm: Motorcade arrives at Maranatha baptist church in Plains.
3.45pm: An invitation-only funeral at the church begins.
4.45pm: A motorcade takes participants from the church to the Carter residence, with the funeral procession passing through Plains so the community can pay respects.
5.20pm: A US Navy missing man formation conducts a flyover in honor of Carter’s naval service and time as commander in chief, followed by a private graveside ceremony and interment.
My colleague Joseph Gedeon writes from Washington with what we can expect from today’s events:
Good morning. Thousands of mourners and living former US presidents will gather at Washington’s national cathedral today for the state funeral of Jimmy Carter, the 39th president.
President Joe Biden will deliver the eulogy for his fellow Democrat, with Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and president-elect Donald Trump expected to join about 3,000 mourners at the service. Thursday has been designated a day of national mourning, with federal offices closed.
Biden said in an interview on Wednesday that Carter had asked him to do the honors when the pair met for the last time four years ago. He added: “Carter was a decent man. I think Carter looked at the world not from here but from here, where everybody else lives,” as he gestured from above his head towards his heart.
The service comes after a week of mourning that has seen people pay their respects to Carter as he lay in state in the US capitol after he died on 29 December, aged 100, in his home state of Georgia. His funeral procession began in Georgia before reaching Atlanta and finally being transported to Washington DC.
Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, described Carter as “one of the most decent and humble public servants we have ever seen”.
“President Carter was a living embodiment of leadership through service, compassion, and a thirst for justice for all,” he said.
