Nancy says goodbye

With tears in her eyes, his widow Nancy began a week of mourning for former President Ronald Reagan with a farewell gesture of infinite tenderness.

It came as she touched her cheek on her husband's flag-draped coffin during a brief ceremony at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Dressed simply in black with a string of pearls, the former First Lady held the hand of her daughter Patti Davis as a minister read passages from the bible.

She then muttered a few inaudible words as she said goodbye to her husband of 52 years. Mrs Reagan, 82, sobbed in her daughter's arms as the two of them embraced. Mourners bearing flags, flowers and even jars of his beloved jelly beans began arriving before dawn at a nearby college to be taken to the library so they could file past the casket of the 40th US president.

Almost 10,000 people passed through in the first five hours of the public memorial, some crying softly, others sobbing.

One woman wore a hat bearing the insignia of the US navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. A handful of men delivered military salutes to the coffin as they passed, under the watchful eyes of a five-man honour guard, one from each branch of the armed forces.

"It just gave me goosebumps to see his coffin and the military people around and to know that he is no longer in pain and suffering," said Lauren Naworski, 10, from Bakersfield, California.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, stood side-by-side at the coffin. After a few quiet moments, both crossed themselves. They each placed a single white rose on the catafalque as well.

Senator John Kerry, the expected Democratic presidential nominee, was due to visit the library today to pay his respects. He has cancelled public campaign events this week, including major fund-raisers on both coasts, though some private events are expected to go on as planned. A week of tributes will culminate with Mr Reagan's state funeral and burial on Friday, which has been designated as a national day of mourning during which US stock markets and government offices will close.

A planned appearance by Afghan president Hamid Karzai in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon was postponed indefinitely.

Reagan's body will be flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol from tomorrow evening until Friday morning, when a funeral service will be held at the National Cathedral.

President Bush will deliver the eulogy at the service and the body will then be flown back to California for a private burial.