State funeral for Sir Lester Bird

Former Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Sir Lester Bird will be laid to rest on 26 August 2021.

A subcommittee of the executive body met with Bird’s family following his death on Monday to arrange the funeral.

A note from the cabinet meeting gave the following details for the state funeral:

A special, joint Parliamentary Session to honour Sir Lester Bird will convene on Tuesday morning, August 17 2021, giving every member an opportunity to express publicly his/her love and admiration for the National Hero and former Prime Minister; the parliamentary sitting planned for Thursday, August 12, 2021, is postponed.
All flags on Government buildings will continue to be flown at half mast until the funeral is at an end on Thursday 26 August 2021.
There will be three days of official mourning commencing on August 24 and continuing through until August 26.
Sir Lester’s body will lie in state in the Parliament on the first day, allowing everyone an opportunity to pay their last respects;
On the second day, his body will lie at 46 North Street, the home of the Antigua and Barbuda Trades and Labour Union, from which institution sprang the ABLP which he led for more than one decade;
On the third day, August 26, 2021, an official holiday will be declared, allowing all to attend the State Funeral which will be held at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium;
Sir Lester’s remains will be buried alongside his mother’s, Lady Lydia Bryant-Bird, in the public cemetery; a monument will be constructed at the National Heroes Cemetery at Tomlinson’s, which will commemorate his life and legacy.
Invitations will be extended to CARICOM Heads who may wish to attend the State Funeral for their fallen Colleague.