People pay last respects to late Karel Schwarzenberg

The casket with the remains of Karel Schwarzenberg, a member of the Czech nobility and one of the country’s most prominent post-1989 politicians, has been brought to the Church of the Knights of Malta of Our Lady Beneath the Chain in central Prague, where it will be on display to the public until Friday.

On Saturday, the coffin will be transported to St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle for the funeral mass, which will be for invited guests only. The public will be able to watch the liturgy live on television and on a large screen near the cathedral.

The funeral mass will be followed by a private funeral for family and friends at Orlík nad Vltavou Castle, after which Schwarzenberg’s remains will be placed to rest in the family tomb in the castle park.

The former head of Czech diplomacy died on November 12 in Vienna at the age of 85