A gun carriage conveyed Lee Kuan Yew’s body from the Istana to Parliament House on Wednesday, March 25, morning, where he will lie in state until Saturday.

The gun carriage left the Istana at 9am, before proceeding along parts of Orchard Road, Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road. These stretches of roads were closed to traffic from 8.45am.

Ceremonial gun carriages are used for state, state-assisted and military funerals, a tradition that dates back to the time of the British. The gun carriage consists of a 25-pounder gun overseen by the Singapore Artillery headquarters.

The procession includes a coffin-bearer party comprising two officers each from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Singapore Police Force. The headdress of the pallbearers will be removed as a mark of respect to Lee.

The national flag was draped over the coffin, which was placed in a glass case on top of a platform. A ceremonial Land Rover pulled the gun carriage.

The public may pay their last respects to Lee at Parliament House from 10am to 8pm daily between Wednesday and Saturday, March 29.

State funerals are accorded to persons who have made exceptional contributions, although there is no set formula, as the Prime Minister and the Cabinet makes the decision to hold one.

The Singaporean politicians who have been granted state funerals before include former presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares and Wee Kim Wee, and former Cabinet ministers S. Rajaratnam and Goh Keng Swee.

The late Mr Lee's wife, Kwa Geok Choo, was also accorded a state funeral in recognition of her "exceptional and unique contributions to Singapore for more than five decades, beginning before Singapore became independent".

Here are some of the images from this morning: