Otto von Habsburg wanted his heart buried in Hungary to show his affection for the country His heart is being buried separately in accordance with Habsburg tradition.
The event is also an echo of medieval aristocratic custom.
His family fled Austria when their empire collapsed at the end of the First World War, and he spent many decades in exile before giving up his claim to the throne in 1961.
As a member of the European parliament for two decades, Mr Habsburg was a passionate advocate of European unity who dedicated himself to having former communist-ruled states brought into the EU.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso paid tribute to him as "a great European... who gave an important impetus to the European project throughout his rich life".
His heart will be buried in a private ceremony at 1900 local time (1700 GMT) in the Benedictine Abbey in Pannonhalma, near Budapest, after a requiem mass.
Mr Habsburg said he wanted his heart buried in Hungary to show the affection he held for the country, Austria's 19th Century partner in the Austro-Hungarian empire.
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Mourners gathered on the streets of Vienna for the funeral
Yesterday thousands of Austrians and tourists lined the streets of Vienna's city centre ahead of a procession into St Stephen's Cathedral, where about 1,000 mourners had gathered.
Vienna's Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn presided over a funeral mass, attended by European royals including Sweden's King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein.
Among the political figures at the ceremony were Austrian President Heinz Fischer, and the prime ministers of Croatia and Macedonia.
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