Large crowds gather to see Pope Francis’ coffin being carried through the Vatican during his three-day laying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Thousands of mourners are expected to file past the body of the late Pope Francis as his official lying in state begins in the Vatican today.

For the next three days St Peter’s Basilica will open at 7am each morning and close at midnight to allow as many people as possible to file past.

The final day of lying in state will end at 7pm so that St Peter’s can be prepared for his funeral Mass on Saturday which will be attended by high profile VIPs including Prince William, Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump.

The bells of St. Peter’s tolled this morning as the pontiff’s body was transferred from the Vatican hotel where he lived to the basilica, escorted by a procession of solemn cardinals and Swiss Guards.

Pallbearers carried the simple wooden coffin on their shoulders through the Vatican’s archway gates leading out into St. Peter’s Square, the cardinals in their scarlet cassocks processing behind and the Swiss Guards at their sides in their golden and blue uniforms.

Heads of state are expected for the funeral in the piazza, but Francis’ body will lie in state in the basilica for three days to allow ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke.

Catholic cardinals this morning performed the ritual ceremony to transfer Francis’ body from his home in the Vatican hotel to St. Peter’s.

Vatican Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the Vatican administration until a new pope is elected, presided over the solemn ceremony in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived. 

Francis’ casket was flanked by four Swiss Guards standing at attention. Outside, priests carrying long candles waited to lead the procession – with Swiss Guards at their sides – into the basilica.

The ordinary faithful filled St. Peter’s Square to watch the procession enter the basilica.

An honour guard of 18 Swiss Guards, dressed in their colourful red, blue and yellow uniforms carrying ceremonial lances, lined up in front of St Peter’s Basilica just before 9am (8am BST) today.

The crowds gathered in front of St Peter’s hushed as Cardinal Farrell read a prayer in Latin from Santa Marta chapel, where the Pope’s coffin had been since Monday. 

A choir sang as cardinals in their red cassocks and capes stood in prayer. 

The ceremony from inside the Santa Marta chapel was relayed on giant screens that had been erected overnight.

Four ushers then wheeled the coffin from the chapel and the bell on the left-hand side of St Peter’s began it’s solemn tolling at 9.10am to mark the start of the procession.

The procession was led by Cardinals, who in a few weeks will be tasked with electing a new Pope when they meet for their Conclave.

The procession passed through the Piazza Santa Marta and the Piazza dei Protomartiri before entering St Peter’s Square through the Arch of Bells.

Twelve pall bearers, all dressed in pale blue suits, carried the open coffin at shoulder height through the square behind the Vatican and into St Peter’s.

As they walked, the tolling belling and Latin chanting of prayers, added to the solemn atmosphere of the proceedings.

Priests carrying candled also flanked the coffin and there was a further outer cohort of Swiss Guards either side of the coffin.

By the time the coffin came into view, around 20,000 people had gathered in St Peter’s square, under a fierce sun with temperature already 20C.

The coffin will enter the basilica though the central doors and will then be placed by the Altar of the Confession, where Cardinal Farrell gave a short reading.

Once inside the basilica, Franci’s casket won’t be put on an elevated bier – as was the case with past popes – but will just be placed on the main altar of the 16th-century basilica, simply facing the pews. 

Crowds began gathering in St. Peter’s Square just before 7am so they could be among the first to enter the basilica when the official lying in state begins at 11am.

Those wanting to file past the coffin have been told to expect a long wait and come prepared with water and snacks.

When Pope John Paul II died in 2005 more than four million people attended his lying in state and later funeral. Officials expect similar numbers for Francis.

Pallets of water bottles have been stockpiled along the main Via della Conciliazione, which leads to St. Peter’s, and first aid tents have also been set up.

Italian police have tightened security for the viewing and the funeral, carrying out foot and horse patrols around the Vatican, where pilgrims continued to arrive for the Holy Year celebrations that Francis opened in December. 

The faithful who walk through St. Peter’s Holy Door are granted indulgences, a way to help atone for sins. 

Metal detectors have also been installed at various key points and sharp shooters will be positioned on rooftops for Saturday’s funeral.

Ahead of his lying in state the pontiff’s body was embalmed and given a touch of make up.

Francis first laid in state in the Santa Marta Domus in a private viewing for Vatican residents and the papal household. 

Images released by the Vatican on Tuesday showed Francis lying in an open casket, wearing the traditional pointed headdress of bishops and red robes, his hands folded over a rosary. 

The Vatican’s No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was pictured praying by Francis.

Cardinals are continuing their meetings this week to plan the conclave to elect Francis’ successor, make other decisions about running the Catholic Church as world leaders and the ordinary faithful grieve the pontiff’s death.

History’s first Latin American pontiff charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated many conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. 

He last appeared in public on Sunday with an Easter blessing and popemobile tour through a cheering crowd in St. Peter’s Square.

He had some reservations about looping through the square packed with 50,000 faithful, Vatican News reported on Tuesday, but overcame them – and was thankful that he had greeted the crowd. He died the next morning.