The senator’s body lay in repose in Boston where thousands of people gathered to pay their respects and preparations were underway to lay to him to rest on Saturday near the graves of his brothers President John Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.
US President Barack Obama was to give a eulogy at the funeral at a Roman Catholic basilica in Boston on Saturday and three of the four living ex-US presidents — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W Bush — were expected to attend, as were the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland.
The Friday service was to bring together family members and longtime close friends such as former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and Democrats Vice President Joe Biden and senators Christopher Dodd and John Kerry.
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