Colin Powell's widow Alma lead mourners including Joe and Jill Biden, former presidents and the most prominent members of the political and military elite at his funeral on Friday following his death from COVID complications last month at age 84. Barack and Michelle Obama, George W. and Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton - without her husband Bill during his recovery from an infection - sat together in the front row for the Pentagon powerhouse's ceremony at the Washington National Cathedral. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security advisor Condoleeza Rice were also in attendance to pay tribute to the first black Secretary of State who served five administrations. The late general will be eulogized by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Dr. Anthony Fauci was also spotted at the service, as was Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with Biden advisor Susan Rice and State Department spokesperson Ned Price. Powell, who was battling a rare blood cancer, died last month at 84 from complications related to COVID-19. He had been vaccinated by his family said his immune system was compromised by his battle with multiple myeloma. The funeral begins at noon ET. Neither Biden nor Obama are expected to speak. Once the Bidens arrive, they join the row of ex-first families President and First Lady Biden arrived after the Obamas and Bushes at the service on Friday at Washington National Cathedral where the late general will be eulogized by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Barack and Michelle Obama are seated at the funeral next to George and Laura Bush, with Hillary Clinton sitting solo on the end Joe Biden and Barack Obama will led the mourners at Colin Powell's funeral service at Washington National Cathedral Powell's casket arrives at the National Cathedral Guests rise as the casket is carried in Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chats with Dr. Anthony Fauci before the service Former U.S. President George W. Bush and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrive at the funeral service Absent from the funeral will be former President Trump, who lambasted the media for treating Powell so 'beautifully' one day after his death. 'Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media,' Trump said in a statement. 'Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO [Republican In Name Only], if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!' Powell will be eulogized by Albright, who preceded him as secretary of state; Richard Armitage, who was deputy secretary under Powell and had known him since they served together in the Pentagon during the Reagan administration; and Powell's son Michael. He is survived by his wife Alma, who had also tested positive for Covid around the same time, their three children and multiple grandchildren. Morning dawns over the National Cathedral ahead of the funeral service for U.S. former Secretary of State Colin Powel Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne Cheney attended the service. Powell was secretary of state when Cheney was VP Colin Powell died last month at the age of 84 due to complications from COVID-19. He is leaving behind his wife, Alma, who also had a breakthrough case of coronavirus Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will give the eulogy for Colin Powell - the two are seen above with former secretaries of state James Baker (left) and Hillary Clinton (right) at September 2014 event at the State Department Biden had ordered all US flags across government buildings and military posts nationwide to fly half staff until October 22 in honor of four-star general. Powell was the first black secretary of State and to this day is the only black man to ever serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was born in 1937 in Harlem, New York, to immigrants from Jamaica and grew up in the South Bronx He served under several Republican administrations – including for Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush. Also, from 1991-1993, he served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Bill Clinton after being appointed to the post halfway through Bush Sr's tenure. Powell served 35 years in uniform. He was commissioned in 1958 as a second lieutenant and served as a platoon leader in what was then called West Germany. In 1962 he was deployed to Vietnam for a year as an adviser to a South Vietnamese infantry battalion. During that tour he was wounded; he served a second tour in Vietnam in 1968 and afterward held a variety of assignments at home and abroad. In the late 1970s he worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and in 1983 as a brigadier general he became the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. He later served in the White House as President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, and in 1989 he was promoted to four-star general. Later that year, President George H.W. Bush selected him to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs. 'He was such a favorite of presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom - twice,' former President George W. Bush said when Powell's death was announced. His decades-long legacy was marred by a 2003 speech to the United Nations Security Council in which he claimed Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. After leaving government, Powell became an elder statesman on the global stage and the founder of an organization aimed at helping young disadvantaged Americans. Republicans wanted him to run for president but he ended up endorsing the last three Democratic presidential candidates - including Obama and Biden. In a statement after Powell's death, Joe Biden commended Powell as having 'the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat' and commemorating his humble beginnings - the two are seen together above in January 2009 Barack Obama called Powell 'an exemplary soldier and an exemplary patriot' - the two are seen above in December 2010 In a statement after Powell's death, Biden commended Powell as having 'the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat' and commemorating his humble beginnings. Obama called Powell 'an exemplary soldier and an exemplary patriot.' 'And although he'd be the first to acknowledge that he didn't get every call right, his actions reflected what he believed was best for America and the people he served.' On a personal level, Obama stated he was 'deeply appreciative' that Powell not only endorsed him in 2008 but 'what impressed me more was how he did it.' 'At a time when conspiracy theories were swirling, with some questioning my faith, General Powell took the opportunity to get to the heart of the matter in a way only he could.' He recalled a time Powell corrected someone on Obama's religious faith, and added, 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?' Obama continued on to say 'That's who Colin Powell was.' All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility