The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, led generous tributes to Roy Jenkins, which came from political friend and foe in many countries.
The prime minister called the man whose breakaway Social Democratic Party tried to put Labour out of business - but instead prefigured Blairism - "one of the most remarkable people to grace British politics".
"He had intellect, vision and an integrity that saw him hold firm to his beliefs of moderate social democracy, liberal reform and the cause of Europe throughout his life. He was a friend and support to me, and someone I was proud to know as a politician and as a human being," said Mr Blair, who leaned considerably on Lord Jenkins's advice in the 1990s.
The European Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, paid tribute to his "lifelong devotion to the European cause". Mr Prodi described Lord Jenkins as an "outstanding" statesman, who would be remembered with affection for enriching British and European political life.
Mr Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats - the merged party Lord Jenkins helped to create - said: "He was an instinctive reformer. The Liberal Democrats can do no better honour to his legacy than to remain true to that tradition."
Mr Iain Duncan Smith, the Conservative leader, said: "You can't help admiring a big political figure, who to some degree dominated the political landscape, certainly in his heyday."
Many of Lord Jenkins's political contemporaries paid tribute last night. Lord Callaghan, who beat him in the 1976 Labour leadership contest, said: "He was one of the outstanding statesmen of his era."
Sir Edward Heath, the former Tory prime minister, described his EU contribution as "whole-hearted and constructive".
However, Mr Denis Healey, a former ally on the Labour right, and Mr Tony Benn, his left-wing protagonist, criticised his defection to the SDP.
Conservative Lord Tebbit, his antithesis in style and politics, suggested he would best be remembered for his Churchill biography.
From a different perspective the former Liberal Democrat leader, Lord Ashdown, agreed:
"Without him the SDP would never have been formed, the Liberal Democrats would never have existed and New Labour would look very different."