Stars Past And Present Mourn Nancy Reagan

Hollywood stars and political luminaries past and present were among 1,000 guests who gathered for the funeral of former First Lady Nancy Reagan on Friday.

The actress-turned-political wife was laid to rest alongside her husband, former US President Ronald Reagan, at his library in Simi Valley, California.

The private service took place a day after thousands of members of the public, some in tears, paid their respects at the coffin of Mrs Reagan.

She died last Sunday of heart failure, aged 94, at her home in the Bel Air suburb of Los Angeles.

Four US first ladies attended the memorial: Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton - who is now campaigning for US president - Laura Bush and Rosalynn Carter.

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Mrs Clinton caused controversy when she told MSNBC ahead of the service that Mrs Reagan had helped start a "national conversation" back in the 1980s about the HIV/AIDS crisis.

She later apologised and said she "misspoke" after furious critics charged the Reagans with largely ignoring the spread of the disease as thousands of Americans died.

Former President George W Bush accompanied his wife to Mrs Reagan's funeral.

But President Barack Obama upset conservatives by skipping the event for a speaking engagement at the SXSW music festival in Texas.

Mr T, who was involved with Mrs Reagan's Just Say No anti-drug campaign in the 1980s, joined mourners.

The actor, best known for pitying fools on television series The A-Team, wrote on Twitter: "I will Never Forget her."

Magnum P.I. star Tom Selleck, actress Bo Derek and Oscar winner Anjelica Huston were among other celebrities on the invite list.

Relatives of every US president dating back to John Kennedy were also at the funeral.

Movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up, along with the man who succeeded him as California Governor, Jerry Brown.

Other politicians at the service crossed the ideological spectrum, from Newt Gingrich to Nancy Pelosi.

Mrs Reagan's two children, Patti Davis and Ronald Prescott Reagan, spoke at the service.

James Baker, who served in the Reagan administration, and former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw praised the Reagans' love story.

"They were as close to being one person as it is possible for any two people to be," Mr Baker said.

Reagan left the presidency in 1989 after two terms.

He was buried at the library site after his death in 2004.