前捷克总统哈维尔的遗体被送往布拉格城堡，在星期五葬礼前被安放在那里，同时，捷克降半旗致哀。这位已故总统的遗体被送往城堡途中，成千上万的民众在布拉格老城区的街道两旁送行。许多人在灵车经过的时候鼓掌致敬，许多人身着黑色衣服。这个送葬仪式标志着为期3天的悼念活动开始。
来自世界各国的领导人将聚集在捷克，向这位持不同政见的剧作家兼前总统致哀。美国国务卿希拉里.克林顿和她的丈夫、美国前总统比尔.克林顿，以色列总统佩雷斯以及法国总统萨科齐预计都将参加哈维尔星期五的葬礼。这位前捷克领导人星期天在睡眠时因呼吸问题去世，享年75岁。哈维尔是一名持不同政见的剧作家，也是捷克第一任民选总统。他上台后，主持了捷克斯洛伐克转变为自由市场经济和民主制度的过程，另外，该国在1993年和平解体为捷克共和国和斯洛伐克。哈维尔在1989到1992年担任捷克斯洛伐克总统，在1993到2003年担任捷克共和国总统。
Flags flew at half staff as the body of former Czech president Vaclav Havel was taken to Prague Castle, where he will lie in state ahead of his funeral on Friday. Thousands of people lined the streets of old town Prague as the late president's body was transported to the castle. Many people applauded as the hearse made its way through the mourners, many dressed in black. The procession marks the start of a three day period of mourning.
Leaders from around the world will gather to honor the dissident playwright and former president. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli President Shimon Peres, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are among the leaders expected to attend Mr. Havel's funeral on Friday. The former Czech leader died in his sleep of respiratory problems Sunday at the age of 75. Mr. Havel, a dissident playwright, was his country's first democratically elected president. On taking office, he oversaw Czechoslovakia's transition to a free-market economy and democracy, as well as its peaceful 1993 division into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Vaclav Havel was the president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992 , and the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003.
