Washington: Donald J. Trump's Democrat rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton, and her husband and former President Bill Clinton arrived here on Friday in the US Capitol ahead of the presidential oath to office ceremony.

Hillary Clinton will be closely watched during the inaugural ceremony. As Trump's opponent, she had garnered 2.9 million fewer votes than her Republican counterpart, The Washington Post reported.

She was dressed in a white suit much like the ones she wore at key moments in her presidential campaign, including when she accepted the Democratic nomination and at the third presidential debate.

Her outfit choice is notable because it carries historical connotations.

In a tweet, Hillary Clinton said: "I am here today to honour our democracy and its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country and its future. #Inauguration."

Clinton was the first woman to win a major party nomination for President nearly 100 years after the US allowed women to vote.

Those who fought for that right, the suffragettes, were encouraged to wear white at marches in the early 1900s.

On election day in 2016, some women cast their ballots dressed in white in solidarity with Clinton and the women who came before her.

Bill Clinton wore a dark suit.-Agency