U.S.
What we know about Jimmy Carter’s Jan. 9 funeral at the National Cathedral
By
The Washington Post December 30, 2024
Anumita Kaur, Maeve Reston and Ben Brasch
The Washington Post December 30, 2024
Jimmy Carter’s state funeral will be held Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. inside Washington National Cathedral. (Washington National Cathedral/Facebook)
Memorial services for former president Jimmy Carter are expected to span several days and include public events in Atlanta and Washington.
Carter’s state funeral will be held Jan. 9 at 10 a.m. inside Washington National Cathedral after a procession from Georgia and a ceremony in which his body will lie in state in the Capitol, according to a news release from the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
The 39th president will then be buried in a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
When will public observances be held?
There will be a state funeral in Washington.
“I’ve spoken to some of the friends and family that are helping with the services, and my team is working with his family and others to see to it that he is remembered appropriately here in the United States and around the world,” President Joe Biden said Sunday night. Arrangements “will take a little time,” he added.
“We’re going to do a major service in Washington, D.C.,” Biden said. “That’s a formal procedure that’s underway.”
He ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff for 30 days at federal buildings, military posts, naval stations and on all naval vessels.
On Monday, Biden issued an executive order stating that all departments and agencies of the federal government will be closed Jan. 9, which he has declared a national day of mourning for Carter. The heads of those executive departments will have the authority to determine whether some employees must still report for duty if they handle matters related to national security, defense or other public needs.
There will also be public observances in Atlanta. Those details are pending, the Carter Center said.
In 2023, Biden revealed that he had been asked by Carter to deliver a eulogy at his funeral. The two presidents’ relationship dates to when Biden — as a first-term U.S. senator from Delaware — endorsed Carter’s run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976. Both men were considered relative outsiders to Washington.
What is a state funeral?
After a former president dies, the president of the United States directs the Defense Department to conduct a state funeral on behalf of the nation. A state funeral is typically a seven- to 10-day event and consists of three stages.
The first stage includes ceremonies held where the former president once lived — for Carter, this is Georgia. This may include Washington-based honor guards and local service units.
Then there are ceremonies in Washington. This may involve armed forces’ honor guards, elite military bands and other specialized military units.
The final stage includes ceremonies in the state where the former president has chosen to be interred. The Carter Center said there will be a private interment in Plains.
The Washington National Cathedral has been the site of several state funerals for former presidents, including Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.
Will Carter lie in state at the U.S. Capitol?
Yes, the Carter Center said shortly after noon Monday. Carter’s body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda after an invitation from Congress.
“This will allow an opportunity for the American people to pay their respects to President Carter,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
The honor of lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda is often reserved for U.S. presidents and members of Congress. The tradition, borrowed from British royalty, began in 1852 with Henry Clay, the former secretary of state.
Twelve commanders in chief have received the honor of lying in state at the Capitol. The first was Abraham Lincoln, and the most recent was George H.W. Bush.
Who else is likely to attend the funerals?
Former presidents, elected officials across the nation and world leaders are also likely to attend Carter’s services.
The living former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump -— and their spouses are expected to pay tribute to Carter.
For the funerals of former president George H.W. Bush, nearly 1,000 guests attended the Houston service. At Bush’s state funeral in Washington, then-President Trump and all living former presidents and their spouses were among the mourners. Several foreign dignitaries also attended — many of whom may attend Carter’s funeral, as well — including then-Prince Charles, now king; King Abdullah II of Jordan; and former British prime minister John Major.