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HOUSTON. – Former President George H.W. Bush will be honoured with a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral, Wednesday, the first presidential funeral since 2006.

• President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend the service, which will feature eulogies from close friends in addition to former President George W. Bush.
• Wednesday, December 5 has been declared a national day of mourning in honour of the 41st president.
• Though the Bush family is still sorting the specifics of the ceremony, state funerals are days-long events and Bush is expected to be buried at his namesake George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas alongside his late wife.

An arrival ceremony will be held Monday evening for the casket of former President George H.W. Bush ahead of a state funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral.

The service will feature eulogies from the 41st president’s son, former President George W. Bush, among other close friends, and will include President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump as attendees.

It was also announced that Trump designated Wednesday, December 5 a national day of mourning in honour of the 41st president and that all executive departments and federal agenciesshuttered on December 5.

The White House also issued a presidential proclamation that the American flag will fly half-staff on all public buildings and grounds, military posts, and US embassies around the world for the next 30 days.

The service at the National Cathedral is the most high-profile part of several events taking place in Bush’s honour this week.

At the ceremony, Bush will be eulogized by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (whose term overlapped with Bush), close friend former Senator Alan Simpson, and presidential historian Jon Meacham, who was Bush’s biographer.

The Bush family announced online they would be partnering with the Department of Defence’s Task Force National Capital Region for the funeral arrangements, which come in three stages.

Congressional leaders announced that Bush would lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda from Monday, December 3 to Wednesday, December 5, when the public can pay their respects ahead of the private funeral service.

The former president will then i.e. in repose at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning before a second memorial service.

Bush is then expected to be buried at his namesake George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas alongside his late wife.

Trump will not speak at the funeral, but is slated to offer his condolences to the Bush family Tuesday at Blair House, sources told CNN, the presidential guest house across the street from the White House.

In lieu of flowers, the Bush family announced online that contributions be made to the George Bush Memorial Fund or pursuing local volunteer opportunities.

Bush’s will be the first presidential funeral since Gerald Ford’s in 2006, and the first major political funeral since more than 2,000 prominent business, media, military, and political figures gathered at the Washington National Cathedral for a ceremony to honour the late Sen. John McCain.

Bush’s state funeral will be the fourth in three decades. Though guided by tradition, there are a variety of options for commemoration ceremonies, presidential funerals allow for personal touches that are decided by the presidents themselves soon after their inauguration.

State funerals are usually seven to 10 days long and include three stages. The Joint Task Force describes the process: “Stage I includes ceremonies within the state in which the president, former president, or president-elect was in residence. Stage II includes ceremonies within Washington, DC, and Stage III includes ceremonies in the state in which the authorized individual has chosen to be interred.”

News of Bush’s passing prompted an outpouring of praise and fond memories from former heads of state and world leaders.

The White House said Trump was notified of Bush’s death while attending the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and cancelled a news conference slated for Saturday afternoon, tweeting it was “out of respect for the Bush family and former president George H.W. Bush.”

“President George H.W. Bush led a long, successful and beautiful life,” Trump wrote earlier Saturday on Twitter. “Whenever I was with him I saw his absolute joy for life and true pride in his family. His accomplishments were great from beginning to end. He was a truly wonderful man and will be missed by all!”

The death of Bush has led to a series of symbolic moments.

Bush had come to be known in recent years for his colourful and symbolic use of socks, wearing different pairs to express his mood or mark occasions.

Jim McGrath, Bush’s spokesman, tweeted on Monday that the 41st president “will be carried to his final rest wearing socks that pay tribute to his lifetime of service, starting as an 18 year-old naval aviator in war.”

McGrath also tweeted a photo of Sully, Bush’s service dog, laying in front of the late president’s casket on Sunday night with the caption, “Mission Complete.” – Business Insider/Fox News