A sea of black-clad mourners massed across Bangkok's historic heart early Thursday as funeral rituals began for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a revered monarch whose passing after a seven-decade reign has left Thailand bereft of its only unifying figure.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej – the man who held the world title of the longest-ruling monarch – helmed the crown for seven decades. He was venerated as a morally righteous and strong figurehead to the Thai people during tumultuous times and stood as a beacon of hope and sign of stability to his loyal subjects.

Gilded chariots, horses and columns of military men in bright costumes swept through Bangkok's old quarter on Saturday in a final dress rehearsal for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej's funeral – a meticulously-planned spectacle of devotion to a man known as the "soul of the nation".Steered by the Buddhist ritual, palace protocol and social hierarchy that underpin Thailand's powerful monarchy, the elaborate cremation ceremony will befit a king who commanded a cult-like fol