Former President George H. W. Bush’s state funeral encompasses four days of events, from his arrival in Washington to his burial in Texas on Thursday.…
Former President George H. W. Bush’s state funeral encompasses four days of events, from his arrival in Washington to his burial in Texas on Thursday.
The guidelines for state funerals date back to the mid-1800s and have been shaped over time. Seating arrangements, for example, are detailed with precision, with the presidential party followed by chiefs of state, arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of their countries.
Ronald Reagan’s state funeral in 2004 was the first of its kind since Lyndon Johnson died in 1973. Gerald Ford’s state funeral overlapped the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007.
The president, former presidents and a president-elect are all entitled to a state funeral, but the family decides if they actually get one or just how involved it will be. Richard Nixon’s family, acting on his wishes, opted out of the Washington traditions when he died in 1994, his presidency shortened and forever tainted by Watergate.
The rules and what actually happens are based on what has come before.
