TRH the Prince of Orange and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg attended the state funeral of former Czechoslovak and Czech president Vaclav Havel at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedralon Friday. Havel died last Sunday at the age of 75 after a long respiratory illness. Havel was known for being a voice against Soviet rule in Czechoslovakia who went on to be President after the Velvet Revolution. He served five years in jail for his criticism of communist rule. The funeral opened with the song "A Prayer for Marta" from 1968, which was a symbol of the nation's resistance to the Soviet-led occupation, it then ended with the Czechoslovak national anthem which was started spontaneously. The ceremony was attended by world leaders both past and present. British Prime Minister David Cameron was joined by French and German presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Christian Wulff. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton were also on hand with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who was born in Prague and delivered remarks at the ceremony in Czech. The former US President had a very close relationship with Havel, highlighted by a 1994 visit which included the two leaders sharing beers.
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Sources: Prague Monitor, Irish Times, Daily Mail
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