Lying in repose

Lying in repose is the condition of a deceased person, often of high social stature, whose body is available for public viewing. Lying in repose differs from the more formal honor of lying in state, which is generally held at the principal government building of the deceased person's country and often accompanied by an honor guard or guard of honour.

In the United States, the distinction between lying in repose and lying in state is not often observed. Lying in state is generally considered to be when one's body is placed in the rotunda of the United States Capitol. When the deceased person is placed in another location, like the Great Hall of the Supreme Court, they lie in repose, as was the case following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016.

The remains of presidents who die in office generally lie in repose in the East Room of the White House while those of a deceased former president generally lie in repose in his home state. However, as an example to the contrary, when the body of John F. Kennedy lay in repose, the term meant "private" as opposed to a public lying in state.

The body of Babe Ruth lay in repose in Yankee Stadium.

The body of singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole lay in repose in the state capital building of Hawaii in 1997.

Not everyone eligible to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda does so. For instance, the body of former President Richard Nixon lay in repose at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California, Senator Edward Kennedy's body lay in repose at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts, and Senator Robert Byrd's body lay in repose in the Senate chamber at the Capitol.

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