Funeral mass for Karel Schwarzenberg held in St. Vitus Cathedral

The official funeral mass for Karel Schwarzenberg, a member of the Czech nobility and one of the country’s most prominent post-1989 politicians, took place with state honours in St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle on Saturday afternoon. The roughly two-hour Catholic ceremony, which began at noon, was officiated by Prague Archbishop Jan Graubner, while President Petr Pavel gave a short eulogy. The invite-only event was attended by hundreds of guests from the worlds of politics, culture, and the nobility, including Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, Prince Albert of Monaco, and British ambassador to the Czech Republic, Matt Field.

Karel Schwarzenberg passed away on November 12 in Vienna at the age of 85. He would have been 86 on Sunday.