France bids farewells to former president Jacques Chirac

Family members and dignitaries are gathering in Paris for a funeral service to farewell former French president Jacques Chirac, who died last week.

Guests attend late French president Jacques Chirac's funeral service at the Saint Sulpice church in Paris. Source: AP

A coffin bearing the body of former French president Jacques Chirac, who died last week, has received a solemn send-off from a military honour guard and a band playing Chopin's Funeral March.

After two days of lying-in-state at the Hotel Des Invalides in central Paris, Chirac's coffin, draped in the French flag, was carried out into the courtyard of the building by 10 members of France's elite Republican Guard.

A sombre-looking President Emmanuel Macron stood over the casket and bowed his head, before it was loaded onto a hearse for the procession to Saint-Sulpice church, where nearly 2000 family members and dignitaries were gathered for a funeral service.

French President Emmanuel Macron pays tribute in front of the flag-draped coffin of the late former French leader Jacques Chirac. Source: EPA

Scores of current and former foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US president Bill Clinton, were due in the church to bid farewell to Chirac, who died last week aged 86.

Chirac was feted by many French people for asserting the country's role as a global player and for opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq, while a conviction after he left office for misusing public funds did little to tarnish his image.

Later on Monday, Macron will host the visiting leaders at a lunch at the Elysee Palace, though Putin was expected to fly out before the lunch, according to the Elysee Palace.

Other leaders at the funeral included German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker. Prince Edward, youngest son of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, also attended.

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte (2-R), along with other French officials attend Jacques Chirac's funeral service. Source: AP

Chirac is to be buried at the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris, in a plot next to his daughter Laurence, who died in 2016.

Over the weekend, thousands of people queued outside the Hotel des Invalides to pay tribute to Chirac. His coffin was on display, draped in the French flag and in front of a large photograph of a smiling Chirac.