Brian Mulroney’s state funeral concludes with 19-gun salute after eulogies from family, Trudeau, Gretzky

7 p.m. ET

Mila Mulroney speaks at the funeral reception

Mila and Mark Mulroney spoke to guests at an event following the state funeral for former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Montreal on Saturday.

Mila cited her late husband when she said “life goes on”. Son Mark praised Elizabeth Theodora Lapham, one of Mr. Mulroney’s granddaughters, for her singing during the funeral service.

– Video by Robert Fife, translation by Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

1:50 p.m. ET

Mulroney’s state funeral concludes

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After singing O Canada, some of the Mulroneys kissed their hands and pressed them on the former prime minister’s coffin.

They then left for a private reception. Mr. Mulroney’s casket left the basilica as a recording of him singing We’ll Meet Again was played, and other guests slowly took leave.

The bell at Notre-Dame tolls 18 times in honour of the country’s 18th prime minister. Meanwhile, a 19-gun salute at the Old Port of Montreal concludes the ceremony.

The family will hold a private burial in Montreal later today.

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

1:10 p.m. ET

Mulroney’s granddaughter performs his favourite song

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Near the end of the funeral service, Elizabeth Theodora Lapham, sang her grandfather’s (her papa’s) favourite song: Mais qu’est-ce que j’ai? by Henri Betti and Édith Piaf.

She stayed at the podium when Tenor Marc Hervieux came up to sing When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. After both singing the first verses, they grabbed each other’s hands, stepped back and a recording of Brian Mulroney’s baritone took over to finish the song.

– Marieke Walsh

12:35 p.m. ET

Catholic mass begins with opening prayer from Archbishop of Montreal

The Catholic mass part of the funeral has begun with an opening prayer from the Archbishop of Montreal, Christian Lépine.

Mulroney’s son Ben gives the first reading, and Mark gives the second reading in French.

The Notre-Dame Basilica Choir performs in between.

Mulroney’s son Nicolas reads the universal prayer in English and in French.

The priests prepare communion.

– The Canadian Press

12:31 p.m. ET

Jean Charest calls Mulroney ‘one of Canada’s true nation builders’

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After extolling Brian Mulroney’s many accomplishments in office, Jean Charest turned to the former prime minister’s personal touch.

There’s not enough time in a lifetime to hear all of the stories of the people Mr. Mulroney reached out to, particularly when their chips were down, said Mr. Charest.

“He wanted to share with them what he knew to be true: That whatever the circumstances, things will come to pass,” Mr. Charest said. “They knew from having spoken to him that they were not alone, that they had his support and his friendship.”

“Canadians pay their respect and express their very deep gratitude to one of Canada’s greatest prime ministers and one of Canada’s true nation builders, Brian Mulroney.”

– Marieke Walsh

12:16 p.m. ET

Jean Charest celebrates Mulroney’s environmental record in eulogy

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Jean Charest celebrated Mr. Mulroney’s environmental record, noting that in 2006, he was recognized as “Canada’s Greenest Prime Minister.”

He earned that label for accomplishments like negotiating an acid-rain treaty, working to strike the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer, and protecting the Canadian wilderness by establishing national parks.

Mr. Charest also recounted Mr. Mulroney’s success on the world stage, when Canadian foreign policy influenced the course of history.

In addition to Mr. Mulroney’s fight against apartheid, Mr. Charest noted that the former prime minister’s government was also the first in the Western world to recognize Ukraine as an independent state.

– Marieke Walsh

12:13 p.m. ET

Jean Charest’s eulogy: Mulroney ‘had politics in his skin’

Former Quebec premier Jean Charest said in his eulogy that Mr. Mulroney had the ability to make tough choices for the greater good, citing the implementation of the GST.

“Brian Mulroney chose to spend his political capital, he took risks and by doing so became one of those rarest of leaders able to define an era as his own.”

Mr Charest, who also served as a minister in Mr. Mulroney’s cabinet, praised the former prime minister’s capacity to build bridges, hold the country together, and gather support for free trade.

He said Mr. Mulroney “had politics in his skin.”

“I can’t think of a more unpopular economic policy than the implementation of the GST, and yet I can’t think of a more popular economic policy with all the prime ministers and governments that followed in the steps of Brian Mulroney,” Mr. Charest said.

“To win in 1988, he brought together Albertans and Quebecers to support free trade.”

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

12:07 p.m. ET

‘Mulroney was an inspirational leader, and a beautiful human being’

Tim McBride, a close colleague of James Baker when Mr. Baker was U.S. secretary of state, delivered a eulogy on his behalf.

“Brian Mulroney was an inspirational leader, and a beautiful human being,” he said.

“To those of us south of the Canadian border, Brian Mulroney was a friend, a staunch and supportive friend who had the confidence to tell us when he found a different American approach might serve our country better.”

Mr. Baker was a central player in the free-trade talks with the Mulroney government in the 1980s. He was not able to attend the funeral in person because he is recovering from surgery.

“I respected Brian Mulroney, I loved him and we’ll miss him dearly,” Mr. Baker wrote in the eulogy.

“I look forward to seeing him again on the other side.”

– Marieke Walsh

12:01 p.m. ET

Wayne Gretzky on the two greats of hockey and politics

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“We’ve had so many wonderful speakers you’re gonna figure out who’s in politics and which guy is a hockey player,” said Wayne Gretzky at the start of his eulogy.

In a brief speech, he regaled the audience with stories of Brian Mulroney’s humour and human touch, and how the two greats of hockey and politics would rib each other.

“I’m so proud to be Canadian today,” Mr. Gretzky said. “To see past prime ministers here, the current prime minister, that’s what our country is all about: coming together, being friendly, helping other people and paying respects, and Mr. Mulroney was one of the greatest prime ministers we’ve ever had.”

– Marieke Walsh

11:54 a.m. ET

Pierre Karl Péladeau on Mulroney’s greatest achievement

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Pierre Karl Péladeau said Brian Mulroney worked not just for his own success but for the betterment of as many people as possible and for a better society.

Mr. Péladeau said Mr. Mulroney’s greatest achievement was helping to end apartheid in South Africa.

“In his last days, when I was talking over the phone with him, he remained optimistic that he would get better and would be with us at our next annual meeting,” he said.

– Marieke Walsh

11:53 a.m. ET

Businessman Pierre Karl Péladeau: ‘Mulroney was a second father’

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In his eulogy, Quebec media and telecommunications tycoon Pierre Karl Péladeau said Mr. Mulroney and his family were an inspiration to him throughout his life.

“To me, Mr. Mulroney was a second father. He always knew where I was coming from,” he said.

Mr. Péladeau recalled how Mr. Mulroney negotiated the first collective agreement of the Journal de Montréal, a newspaper created by Mr. Péladeau’s father, setting it up for success.

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel and Marieke Walsh

11:50 a.m. ET

Prime Minister Trudeau’s eulogy: ‘It’s the end of the night of a giant’

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who last spoke at the Notre-Dame Basilica for his father’s funeral in 2000, offered an address praising Mr. Mulroney’s legacy.

Mr. Mulroney “thought big, but the little guy from Baie-Comeau knew how to keep both feet on the ground,” Mr. Trudeau said, and worked hard under all circumstances.

The Prime Minister recalled how Mr. Mulroney would often tell him, during NAFTA renegotiations with Donald Trump’s administration, that “it is at the end of the night that we recognize the best dancers.”

“It was a lesson of discipline, determination, and perseverance,” Mr. Trudeau said. “Today, it’s the end of the night of a giant.”

Mr. Trudeau also noted Brian Mulroney’s historic success in negotiating a free-trade deal with the United States.

“Brian was motivated by service,” Mr. Trudeau said, he “was motivated by leadership, by getting the big things right. Big things like free trade, fighting to raise the standard of living for Canadians and for millions of people.”

He also remembered Canada’s 18th prime minister as a “great persuader” who leveraged Canada’s position in the Commonwealth to champion the end of apartheid in South Africa and lead efforts to help free Nelson Mandela.

Mr. Trudeau also celebrated Mr. Mulroney’s generosity, charm and sense of humour, recounting a story that the former prime minister used to share about buoying Ronald Reagan’s spirits amid declining support in public-opinion polls.

His words of comfort: “I don’t know how to break this to you, but Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl and I combined don’t have your 59 per cent approval rate.”

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel and Marieke Walsh

11:47 a.m. ET

Behind-the-scenes of Caroline Mulroney’s eulogy

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During Caroline Mulroney’s eulogy, the guests laughed easily at her stories about her father wanting to be buried with his podium and about the waiter, former prime minister John Diefenbaker and the pat of butter.

The flag-draped coffin sits in the middle aisle, just ever so slightly off-centre.

On two tv screens at the front of the sanctuary is a photo of Mulroney with his name and the years of his birth and death

The screens on the side show closeups of the person speaking.

Caroline’s voice wavered whenever she talked of her personal memories of her father.

At the end of her eulogy as she spoke of his final day, several guests visibly leaned forward as if they were desperate to hear more of this very personal memory of Mr. Mulroney’s last hours. As she finished, several wiped tears from their eyes. A handful of white handkerchiefs were spotted, and in the background, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began to speak, someone loudly blew their nose.

– Robert Fife

11:40 a.m. ET

Caroline Mulroney on the former prime minister’s early years

In her eulogy, Caroline Mulroney recounted how her father, then 16 years old, offered to his father, Benedict, to take an apprenticeship at the local mill and get to work to alleviate the family’s financial woes.

“He probably would have had a good life,” Ms. Mulroney said, “but he would not have fulfilled his destiny.”

Benedict Mulroney declined his son’s offer, instead taking up longer hours so that his son could go to university. Ms. Mulroney, who serves as Ontario’s Minister of Francophone Affairs in addition to being President of the Treasury Board, praised her father’s political acumen and his role in protecting the rights of the country’s French-speaking minority. “Quebec was his home.”

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

11:34 a.m. ET

Brian Mulroney’s final words to his wife, Mila

Caroline Mulroney credited her mum, Mila, with her dad’s success.

Over more than 50 years of marriage, she said they always did everything together. “Together for 51 years, they were a political powerhouse,” she said. “They achieved the unimaginable in their private and public lives, because they did everything together.”

On his last day in his hospital bed, Caroline said his mum asked him if he would come back to her.

“His body was tired, but his heart would not let him give us up, so dad looked at mum and with what were his final words to her, he said ‘I plan to.’ "

– Marieke Walsh

11:20 a.m. ET

Caroline Mulroney delivers the family’s eulogy

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Brian Mulroney’s eldest child, Caroline Mulroney, presented the family’s eulogy to the late prime minister. Ms. Mulroney began her speech with a few jokes – a nod to her dad whose gift for the gab was legendary.

“Speeches were such a major part of his life, that he told us that when it was his turn to go up to what he called that great political rally in the sky, he wanted us to bury him with his podium,” Ms. Mulroney said, prompting a chuckle from the audience.

“No one gave a speech like my dad, with his beautiful baritone voice, his sense of humour and his impeccable timing.”

Mr. Mulroney’s daughter lifted the veil on the man the country knows as a former prime minister, and introduced them to Mr. Mulroney – the dad. He carried her to bed and would wait for her to fall asleep; when she was older, he would wait for her with a glass of champagne when she finally got off work, and he counselled her on entering politics.

“Every day of my life, my dad told me that I was the greatest daughter that God put on this Earth,” she said. “Now, we all know how much he liked hyperbole. But how lucky am I that for almost 50 years, I was told something so wonderful. Every single day.”

“He gave me love, confidence and strength,” Caroline said.

Mr. Mulroney took immense pride in his sons, Caroline said, noting Ben’s success in broadcast news, Mark’s success in the financial world, and Nicolas’s leap of faith in becoming an entrepreneur.

“All three of them have matured into wonderful loving fathers in our dad’s image,” she said.

“My dad frequently told me how proud he was of them and the family lives that they built, which he said is the most important thing in life.”

He relished being “papa” to his 16 grandchildren, she said, describing him as a playful and affectionate grandpa.

– Marieke Walsh

11:04 a.m. ET

Brian Mulroney’s state funeral begins

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Brian Mulroney’s wife Mila, walked into the basilica hand in hand with four of her 16 grandchildren, her four children, Caroline, Ben, Mark and Nicolas, and their spouses and children.

They walked into the Basilica as soprano Marie-Josée Lord sang an excerpt from the opera La Wally by Alfredo Catalani.

– Marieke Walsh

11 a.m. ET

Brian Mulroney’s casket arrives at Notre-Dame Basilica

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Brian Mulroney’s family stand huddled under a cluster of umbrellas in the wet snow as they watch his casket being carried into Notre-Dame Basilica.

The RCMP honour guard marches the casket into the church as a group of Canadian Armed Forces members keep watch.

The honourary pallbearers stand watch at the top of the steps to the basilica.

– The Canadian Press

10:55 a.m. ET

Ryan Reynolds, Edward Rogers, Galen Weston Jr. among list of guests

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Among the other notable guests in attendance are celebrity Ryan Reynolds, though his wife Blake Lively was not listed as a guest.

Also in attendance is Conrad Black – a Canadian-born British businessman; chairman and president of Loblaw Companies Limited Galen Weston Jr.; Indigo founder and CEO Heather Reisman; Rogers Chair Edward Rogers; Shopify president Harley Finkelstein; CBC comedian Rick Mercer; and former NHLers Serge Savard and Vincent Damphousse.

Prominent journalists Peter Mansbridge, Jean-François Lépine, Paul Arcand, Robert Fife, and Chantal Hébert were also among the invited guests.

– Marieke Walsh

10:47 a.m. ET

Church bells toil 84 times, honouring Brian Mulroney’s life

Church bells are tolling 84 times, one for each year of Brian Mulroney’s life, as the funeral procession makes its way to Notre-Dame Basilica.

The hearse is accompanied by an RCMP honour guard walking alongside the car in their ceremonial red serge.

The Mulroney family is in a series of black vehicles making their way through the snowy Montreal streets.

– The Canadian Press

10:46 a.m. ET

A closer look at notable guests in attendance

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The long list of notable guests includes former prime ministers Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, Joe Clark and Stephen Harper, and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Beverley McLachlin.

Federal leaders of all stripes including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are also attending the funeral.

Nearly all Canadian premiers are in attendance, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Quebec Premier François Legault and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Nine former premiers are in attendance, including four from Quebec.

International guests include ambassadors from countries all over the world such as the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Ukraine.

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

10:36 a.m. ET

Trudeau, Legault arrive as funeral cortege gets underway

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault arrived at the Notre-Dame Basilica one after the other just as the funeral cortege for former prime minister Brian Mulroney got under way.

The Royal Canadian Air Force Band accompanied the cortege, which was escorted through Montreal’s snowy streets by an RCMP mounted escort, a Canadian Armed Forces escort, RCMP pallbearers and honorary pallbearers.

The 17 honorary pallbearers represent a cross-section of Mr. Mulroney’s close friends. They include his former chief of staff Derek Burney; one of Mr. Mulroney’s key campaigners and former senator Michel Cogger; philanthropist and investment adviser Jonathan Deitcher; Power Corporation chairman Paul Desmarais; and media mogul Pierre Karl Péladeau.

– Marieke Walsh

10:27 a.m. ET

Funeral cortege makes it way to Notre-Dame Basilica with Mulroney’s casket

The bells are ringing at St. Patrick’s Basilica in Montreal as Brian Mulroney’s casket leaves the church.

The bells are silenced while the casket is placed into a vehicle by RCMP members in their ceremonial red serge uniforms.

The funeral cortege is now making its way from St. Patrick’s to Notre-Dame Basilica for the state funeral.

– The Canadian Press

10:20 a.m. ET

Mulroney family arrive to escort casket to Notre-Dame Basilica

Members of the Mulroney family have begun to arrive at St. Patrick’s Basilica to escort the former prime minister’s casket.

Brian’s wife Mila walked into the basilica with their four children, Caroline, Benedict, Mark and Nicolas, and some of their grandchildren.

Members of the family proceeded up the centre aisle and gathered around the flag-draped casket at the front.

Members of the RCMP then picked up the casket, and gingerly carried it out of the church.

Inside the sanctuary at Notre-Dame Basilica, four large television screens are set up, showing intermittent scenes of inside and outside the church.

– The Canadian Press

10:13 a.m. ET

Former colleagues reminisce about working with Mulroney: ‘We miss him’

Marie Terrien, who worked with the Prime Minister’s press office from 1985 to 1989, also attended the funeral: “It was an amazing time, an amazing place, and he was an amazing man,” she said.

Ms. Terrien remembers Mr. Mulroney as a caring, genuine man and “just the best boss in the world.”

Seeing the reactions pour in after Mr. Mulroney’s death, she said she was glad of how Canadians seem to appreciate his legacy. “We miss him,” she said.

John Reimer, a former Progressive-Conservative MP in Mr. Mulroney’s government, remembers him “as a great friend, loyal friend, listened carefully at caucus meetings” and “a great speaker.”

“We’ve heard so many different things about him now, but they’re all true,” Mr. Reimer said, with a good-hearted laugh. “He was a very good leader, very sensitive. If you had a tough problem, he listened,” he added.

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

10:09 a.m. ET

The scene at Notre-Dame Basilica

The sanctuary of the Basilica is already crowded. Some people are already in their seats but most remain standing and chatting with each other. The atmosphere is not quite jovial but it is also not sombre.

There is a sea of black suits accentuated by two people who more boldly wore bright purple. A woman with a bright red scarf stands out.

Four large television screens are set up on either side of the sanctuary showing intermittent scenes of inside and outside the church.

– Robert Fife

10:06 a.m. ET

Wife of Mulroney’s former photographer Bill McCarthy shares memories

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Annamaria Scotty, the wife of Mr. Mulroney’s former photographer Bill McCarthy, said she has “a lot of good memories” with the Mulroneys.

“They treated us exceedingly well as a family,” she said, and the Prime Minister was himself “very family-oriented” and “just a very caring person.”

Mr. McCarthy worked for the Prime Minister for five years, and the family invited him back to document this week of remembrance, culminating with the funeral Saturday, Ms. Scotty said.

“For me, it’s an honor to be here, I have to say, and for my husband, it’s a book end.”

– Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel

10:02 a.m. ET

A look at some of the guests in attendance

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The funeral of Brian Mulroney has attracted a Who’s Who of Canadians politics, business and arts.

Among the guests: UN ambassador Bob Rae, former Canadian ambassador to China Dominic Barton, Bank of Montreal executive and former cabinet minister Scott Brison, Canadian Chamber of Commerce President Perrin Beatty who served in the Mulroney cabinet, famed Montreal lawyer Gérald Tremblay, spouse of Supreme Court Justice Suzanne Côté, former cabinet ministers Peter MacKay and Peter Van Loan, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

– Robert Fife

9:46 a.m. ET

A smile and a quip for everyone: Globe readers share their memories of meeting Brian Mulroney

For many Canadians, it was brief personal encounters with former prime minister Brian Mulroney – at the airport, on the streets of 24 Sussex Drive, at his children’s hockey games, and at book signings and fundraisers in his later years – that left a lasting impression.

From David Bryce, 49, Ottawa:

Read some of the stories that Globe readers shared with us.

– Globe staff

9:28 a.m. ET

Guests start to arrive at Notre-Dame Basilica

Guests are arriving at Notre-Dame Basilica for the funeral of Brian Mulroney. There is a heavy police presence outside the cathedral and the basement has been turned into a command post. Among the guests – aside from political friends and onetime foes – are journalists such a Peter Mansbridge and LaPresse Ottawa bureau chief Joël-Denis Bellavance.

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– Robert Fife

9 a.m. ET

Brian Mulroney’s state funeral program

After days of public tributes in Ottawa and Montreal, former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be laid to rest with a state funeral in Montreal, starting at 11 a.m. ET.

The list of people giving eulogies underscores the heights that the boy from Baie Comeau, Que., reached in the business and political worlds. His eldest child and only daughter, Caroline Mulroney, will speak for the family. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also give a eulogy, followed by media mogul Pierre Karl Péladeau, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, former U.S. secretary of state James Baker and finally by his political ally, Mr. Charest.

His funeral will be led by the Archbishop of Montreal, Christian Lépine, and Miguel Castellanos, rector of Notre-Dame Basilica.

Prior to the ceremony, a funeral cortege – which includes an RCMP mounted escort, a Canadian Armed Forces escort, a guard of honour, the Royal Canadian Air Force Band and RCMP pallbearers – will make its way to the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.

The funeral service will feature religious components, musical interludes and artistic components, including a performance by Mr. Mulroney’s granddaughter, followed by a 19-gun salute to conclude the ceremony.

Mr. Mulroney, Canada’s prime minister from 1984 to 1993, died on Feb. 29. He was 84.

The former prime minister reached historic heights in politics: winning the largest majority government in Canadian history, striking a free-trade deal and an acid-rain treaty, leading the fight against apartheid, and recognizing Ukrainian independence.

However, his determination to bring Quebec into the constitution sowed discord in Eastern and Western Canada, leading to the rise of the Reform Party and Bloc Québécois. And amid a series of controversies and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax, his popularity plummeted and he left office shortly before the 1993 election that reduced his party to two seats.

His death last month broke the typically polarized and partisan Ottawa bubble, with politicians of all stripes praising his ability to take risks and attempt ambitious, even unpopular projects, for the greater good.

Beyond his political skills, everyone from backbench MPs to premiers and party leaders have remembered Mr. Mulroney as a warm, caring man who remembered to call in difficult times and had a great sense of humour.

“I think that people are starting to find out that Brian Mulroney, the father, and Brian Mulroney, the man, were one in the same,” said his son Mark. “He gave exactly the same type of emotion and love to people that he had just met and yet we never felt any less special.”

– Marieke Walsh and Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel