Lying in repose
Encyclopedia
Lying in repose is a term used to describe when a deceased person, often of some stature, is available for public viewing. "Lying in repose" is different from the formal honor of "lying in state
", which is generally held at the principal government building of the country and often accompanied by an honor guard
.
, the distinction between "lying in repose" and "lying in state" is not often observed. However, "lying in state" is generally considered to exclusively refer to being placed in the Rotunda
of the United States Capitol
.
The remains of presidents
who die in office generally lie in repose in the East Room
of the White House
while those of a deceased former president generally lie in repose in his home state
. However, as an example to the contrary, when John F. Kennedy
lay in repose, the term meant "private" as opposed to a public lying in state.
The body of Babe Ruth lies in repose in Yankee Stadium.
Not everyone eligible to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda does so. For instance, President Richard Nixon
lay in repose at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California
, Senator Edward Kennedy lay in repose at the John F. Kennedy Library
in Boston, Massachusetts, and Senator Robert Byrd
lay in repose in the Senate chamber at the Capitol.
, when deceased governors general
and prime ministers
lie anywhere outside of the Centre Block
of Parliament Hill
, they lie in repose. In the Hall of Honour, the Senate, or the foyer of the House of Commons, they lie in state.
Lying in state
Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...
", which is generally held at the principal government building of the country and often accompanied by an honor guard
Honor guard
An honor guard, or ceremonial guard, is a ceremonial unit, usually military in nature and composed of volunteers who are carefully screened for their physical ability and dexterity...
.
United States
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the distinction between "lying in repose" and "lying in state" is not often observed. However, "lying in state" is generally considered to exclusively refer to being placed in the Rotunda
United States Capitol Rotunda
The United States Capitol rotunda is the central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Located below the Capitol dome, it is the tallest part of the Capitol and has been described as its "symbolic and physical heart."...
of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
.
The remains of presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
who die in office generally lie in repose in the East Room
East Room
The East Room is the largest room in the White House, the home of the president of the United States. It is used for entertaining, press conferences, ceremonies, and occasionally for a large dinner...
of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
while those of a deceased former president generally lie in repose in his home state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. However, as an example to the contrary, when John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
lay in repose, the term meant "private" as opposed to a public lying in state.
The body of Babe Ruth lies in repose in Yankee Stadium.
Not everyone eligible to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda does so. For instance, President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
lay in repose at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda, California
Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....
, Senator Edward Kennedy lay in repose at the John F. Kennedy Library
John F. Kennedy Library
The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and museum of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. It is located on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, next to the Boston campus of the University of...
in Boston, Massachusetts, and Senator Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
lay in repose in the Senate chamber at the Capitol.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, when deceased governors general
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
and prime ministers
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
lie anywhere outside of the Centre Block
Centre Block
The Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as senior administration for both legislative houses...
of Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
, they lie in repose. In the Hall of Honour, the Senate, or the foyer of the House of Commons, they lie in state.
See also
- Caisson
- CatafalqueCatafalqueA catafalque is a raised bier, soapbox, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of the deceased during a funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the Absolution of...
- Death and funeral of Corazon AquinoDeath and funeral of Corazon AquinoThe 11th President of the Philippines, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, died on August 1, 2009 at the Makati Medical Center in Makati City, after having suffered from colorectal cancer for over a year. Her official cause of death was cardiorespiratory arrest...
- Death and funeral of Richard NixonDeath and funeral of Richard NixonOn April 22, 1994, Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, died after suffering a stroke four days earlier. His public funeral followed five days later at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in his hometown of Yorba Linda, California...
- Death and state funeral of Gerald FordDeath and state funeral of Gerald FordOn December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at 6:45 p.m. local time . At 8:49 p.m...
- Death and state funeral of Omar BongoDeath and state funeral of Omar BongoThe second President of Gabon, Omar Bongo, died in Spain on June 8, 2009, after having suffered from colorectal cancer. A month of mourning and state funeral, spanning June 11 to 18th, followed....
- Death and state funeral of Pierre TrudeauDeath and state funeral of Pierre TrudeauThe death and state funeral of Pierre Trudeau took place in September 2000. Pierre Trudeau was the 15th prime minister of Canada, serving from 1968 to 1984, with a brief interruption in 1979–1980. Trudeau died on September 28, 2000...
- Death and state funeral of Ronald ReaganDeath and state funeral of Ronald ReaganOn June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...
- Funeral of Edward VIIFuneral of Edward VIIThe Funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom occurred on Friday, 20 May 1910. It was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty ever to take place, and one of the last before World War I ended the era of European royalty....
- Funeral of Pope John Paul IIFuneral of Pope John Paul IIThe funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on 8 April 2005, six days after his death on 2 April. The funeral was followed by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches observe nine days of mourning....
- Funeral trainFuneral trainA funeral train is a train specially chartered in order to carry a coffin or coffins to a resting place. Funeral trains today are often reserved for leaders and national heroes, as part of a state funeral, but in the past were sometimes the chief means of transporting coffins and mourners to...
- Lying in stateLying in stateLying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...
- Missing man formationMissing man formationThe missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flyover of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot. The missing man formation is often called "the missing man flyby"...
- Riderless horseRiderless horseA riderless horse or caparisoned horse is a single horse, without a rider, and with boots reversed in the stirrups, which sometimes accompanies a funeral procession...
- State funeralState funeralA state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
- State funeral of John F. KennedyState funeral of John F. KennedyThe state funeral of John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, DC during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas....
- State funerals in the United StatesState funerals in the United StatesState funerals in the United States are public funerals held in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. that are offered to a sitting or ex-President of the United States, a President-elect, as well as other people designated by the President...
- Vigil of the PrincesVigil of the PrincesThe Vigil of the Princes is the unofficial name given to two occasions when male members of the British Royal Family have stood guard during the lying in state of one of their relatives during a British State Funeral.-King George V:...