Winnie Mandela (left), ex-wife of former South African President, and Graca Macel, widow of Mandela, wipe away tears as his flag-draped coffin arrives at the Mthata airport
Coming home: A parade of servicemen lead the casket to the funeralFinal goodbye: The flag-draped casket of South Africa’s first black president arrives in Mandela’s villageFinal goodbye: The flag-draped casket of South Africa’s first black president arrives in Mandela’s village
Tradition: Mandela’s casket, covered in the nation’s flag, was placed on a cattle skin as the service combined elements of traditional and state funerals Mourners: US talk show host Oprah Winfrey, centre, her husband Stedman Graham, left, and English businessman Richard Branson, right, watching the funeral serviceTraditional: Mandla Mandela right, grandson of former South African president Nelson Mandela, during his grandfather’s funeralHis former wife Winnie MandelaMandela’s widow Graca Machel,Dignitaries: Anti-apartheid activist and friend Ahmed Kathrada, right, with former South Africa president Thabo MbekiSupport: African National Congress supporters chant before the start of the funeralState funeral: Mandela’s coffin is carried into the white tent for the serviceDignitaries: Prince Charles, right, arrives for the state funeral on SundayHonor: A gun salute is fired as the funeral procession nears the Mandela family compoundRespect: Candles are lit under a portrait of Nelson Mandela before his funeral. One for every year of his lifeDisplay: The coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela is seen draped in a South African national flag during his funeral in his ancestral village of Qunu
Full military honours: Fighter jets escort the military plane carrying the coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela as it is flown to Mandela’s home in the village of Qunu, Eastern CapeA celebration of life: Mourners sing, wave their national flag and hold up posters of Mandela as they wait for his funeral cortège to appearCrowds of mourners cheer as they await the motorcade: Mandela languished in jail for 27 years for his opposition to the racist apartheid regime. Freed in 1990, he emerged to forge a new democratic South Africa by promoting forgiveness and reconciliationFigurehead: A South African mourner embraces a poster of Mandela, while waiting with other mourners for the motorcade transporting the body of the former president to pass by in the town of Mthatha. Right, Khanyile Diko cheers while wearing a T-shirt depicting the liberation hero as a scarf around his neckFigurehead: A South African mourner embraces a poster of Mandela, while waiting with other mourners for the motorcade transporting the body of the former president to pass by in the town of Mthatha. Right, Khanyile Diko cheers while wearing a T-shirt depicting the liberation hero as a scarf around his neckPaying respects: Thousands of mourners line the streets of Umthatha as the enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles sweeps through their townHigh security: Soldiers in full combat gear, male and female, were stationed on foot on either side of the road from the airport in MthathaPatriotism: South African mourners wave and cheer as the hearse transporting the flag-draped casket containing the body of Mandela as it passes through the town of MthathaAfrica: Young women dance by the roadside in the small village of Queque, near Qunu, as they wait to watch the funeral procession to sweep by‘Long live the spirit of Nelson Mandela’: The crowds chanted old songs and slogans from the anti-apartheid struggle as they watched the body of Mandela roll pastLoved by the people: The motorcade transporting Mandela’s body passes through crowds of mourners gathered in the town of Mthatha on its way to QunuLocals cheers as Mandela arrives: Iit was escorted by an enormous convoy of police, military and other vehicles, many flashing emergency lights, arriving at about 4pm local time after going past cheering crowds who had lined the route to pay their respects
A last look at the father of the nation: Locals take photographs as Mandela’s hearse nears Qunu, a small hamlet in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province where Mandela grew upWomen hold ANC flags and banners as the long convoy bringing Mandela’s body home finally arrives in QunuA military guard of honour stands to attention at the Mandela family’s homestead in Qunu. Mandela, the revered icon of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and one of the towering political figures of the 20th century, died in Johannesburg on December 5 at age 95Tradition: Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, right, watches as local chiefs escort the lion skin draped casket of former South African President as it arrives at the Mandela residence in QunuWinnie Mandela (left), ex-wife of former South African President, and Graca Macel, widow of Mandela, wipe away tears as his flag-draped coffin arrives at the Mthata airportJourney’s end: The hearse carrying the coffin of former South African president Nelson Mandela passes by the tent dome set up in Qunu for his funeralHome at last: Military officers and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, rear, accompany the casket of the former South African President as it arrives in QunuTribute: A military officer places the framed flag of South Africa on top of Mandela’s coffinSombre: South Africa’s current president Jacob Zuma sitting between Winnie Mandela and Graca MachelTears: The former president’s daughter Zindzi comforts another mournerMoved: Mandela’s daughter Makaziwe, centre, sits in front of her father’s coffin during the ceremonySpeech: Joyce Banda, the president of Malawi, was one of many African leaders to pay tribute to Mandela at the serviceEmbrace: Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who initially claimed he had not been invited to the funeral, hugs former president Thabo MbekiGathered to remember Madiba: South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma (2nd left), Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Mandela (left), and the widow of Mandela, Graca Machel (3rd left), sit by his coffinFinal journey: The coffin carrying former South African President Nelson Mandela is escorted into his state funeral service in Qunu this morningPraise: President Jacob Zuma said that Mandela was ‘a fountain of wisdom, a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope’Eulogy: Mandela’s granddaughter Nand takes to the podium to pay her tributes to the leader Eulogy: Mandela’s granddaughter Nand takes to the podium to pay her tributes to the leaderStage: The speakers delivered their addresses in front of 95 candles, representing every year of Mandela’s lifeFinal journey: The coffin of former South African President Nelson Mandela is carried by military personnel at the end of his funeral service in his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern CapeBurial: The military carry Mandela’s body along the pathway to the area where South Africa’s beloved son’s burial site in QunoA nation in mourning: Three helicopters carrying South African flags fly over the burial site today as a much smaller crowd of mourners watched the great statesman laid to rest after ten days of official mourningSpecial tribute: The South African air force fly over Mandela’s grave in the hills of Qunu where he grew up, which was accompanied by a 21-gun saluteUnited in grief: Mandela’s widow Graca Michel and his ex-wife Winnie Mandela tearfully comforted one another as they sat next to president Jacob Zuma and Mandela’s grandson Mandla as he was laid to restPoignant: Nelson Mandela’s coffin was carried to his grave and then the flag of the country he loved so ardently was removed and handed to his widow Graca MachelGoodbye to an icon: Nelson Mandela’s coffin is slowly lowered into the ground in the hills close to where he grew up at the small, private burial today in Qunu as military salute and mourners watch the poignant moment
