Vaclav Havel: National mourning begins for late leader

Three days of national mourning have begun for the late Czech leader Vaclav Havel, who died on Sunday aged 75. The coffin of the former dissident playwright is being taken to Prague Castle where it will lie in state. Thousands are accompanying the procession of the man who led the 1989 overthrow of communism as it makes its way through the city's historic centre. A state funeral for the Czech Republic's first president is expected to take place on Friday. Royal route Havel's coffin is being carried in a hearse, followed by members of Havel's family and thousands of members of the public. Many applauded as the hearse passed. The route goes through the heart of the medieval Old Town, across the 14th Century Charles Bridge and up the steep hill to the castle. It is known as the Royal Route - used by kings and emperors for centuries. The bridge was lined with hundreds of people waiting for the procession to pass. At the barracks of the Castle Guard, the coffin will be placed on a gun carriage drawn by six horses and accompanied by 700 soldiers in ceremonial uniform and make the short journey to Prague Castle. Hundreds of people have already paid their respects while his coffin was kept on display at a cultural centre in Prague. Friday's funeral, at St Vitus Cathedral in Prague, will be the Czech Republic's first ever state funeral since independence and is expected to be attended by dignitaries from around the world. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whose husband, Bill, visited a jazz club as president with the late Czech leader in 1994 is expected to attend. Heads of state or government from France, Germany, Israel and Austria and leaders from across eastern Europe, including Georgia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania are also expected to attend. Vaclav Havel became president of Czechoslovakia in 1989 after the fall of communism. When Slovakia split in 1993, he remained Czech leader until 2003. Having suffered from respiratory problems for many years, he died on Sunday at his country home in Hradecek, north-east of Prague, where he was being looked after by his wife Dagmar Havlova. He had suffered "circulatory failure, the result of all health problems he had experienced, starting with pneumonia he had suffered from in prison", his doctor Tomas Bouzek told Czech media. Havel had part of a lung removed during surgery for cancer in the 1990s and had moved to his country home for health reasons in the summer, returning briefly to the capital to meet Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama earlier this month. One report said the former dissident had died after making plans with his wife for a quiet Christmas party.