AN ELABORATE state funeral for Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, was held yesterday bereft of many world leaders whose travel plans were paralysed by the plume of volcanic ash that has covered Europe.

An elaborate state funeral for Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, began today bereft of many world leaders whose travel plans were paralysed by the plume of volcanic ash that has covered Europe.

Thousands of mourners threw flowers on a slow-moving hearse and joined an enormous viewing line at Warsaw’s Presidential Palace to pay their respects to Lech Kaczynski and his wife as their bodies lay in state.

Thousands of people stood silent in the streets of Poland’s cities today in a silent memorial to President Lech Kaczynski and the other 95 people killed in a devastating plane crash.

A week of national mourning has been declared in Poland after the country's President died in a plane crash.