State funeral

Heads of state and government were in attendance at the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Friday for the funeral of the late former Czech President Vaclav Havel.

Among those in attendance are US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, as well as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

A message to the Czech people from Pope Benedict XVI paid tribute to "how courageously Mr Havel defended human rights at a time when these were systematically denied to the people of your country."

It credited Havel for "his visionary leadership" in forging a new democratic system of government after the fall of the previous regime.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was not present at the funeral, with President Christian Wulff representing the country instead.

'Words and deeds'

However, Merkel wrote a note of condolence ahead of the ceremony. "In words and deeds, he moved people towards freedom," said the chancellor.

Czech-born Albright, who was a friend of Havel, paid tribute to the former dissident and playwright's outlook on life.

"Vaclav Havel was fully aware of human weakness but we will remember him for his resolve not to accept it as a permanent state of being," said Albright.

At noon, people across the country observed a minute of silence and thousands were were seen outside the cathedral.

The funeral wraps up three days of national mourning for Havel, who passed away at the age of 75 on Sunday after a long illness.

Flags have been flying at half-mast since Wednesday, and people have lined up to pay their respects as his body was lying in state at Prague Castle, the seat of the Czech presidency.

British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy attended the service, which was led by Catholic Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka.

Revolution hero

Tributes have been pouring in for Havel since his death was announced.

I admired the man incredibly for his courage, his noble character, his ideas, for the sacrifice he made for us all," said Jan Zelenka, the editor of several of Havel's books.

Havel was a dissident playwright during under the Communist regime in post-war Czechoslovakia, and was one of the leading figures in the "Velvet Revolution" that led to democratic reforms in the county.

He served as president of the newly democratic Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992, and for a further decade as president of the Czech Republic, after Slovakia broke off and became an independent country at the start of 1993. 

Author: Chuck Penfold, Richard Connor (AFP, APE)
Editor: Gabriel Borrud