Paul O’Grady’s funeral to feature Battersea dogs guard of honour as star laid to rest at private service

Dogs from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home will form a guard of honour as part of a private funeral service for Paul O’Grady.

The popular comedian and TV presenter, who rose to fame as his platinum wig-wearing drag queen alter ego Lily Savage, died “unexpectedly but peacefully” at his home on 28 March at the age of 67.

His funeral will be held on Thursday (20 April) afternoon and will see several dogs from the rescue centre form a guard of honour in a special nod to his extensive work for the charity, for which he was an ambassador.

O’Grady rehomed five dogs while filming his multiple award-winning ITV show Paul O’Grady: For The Love Of Dogs and following his death, Battersea set up a “tribute fund” which has raised more than £270,000 for the charity.

The Salvation Army Band is also due to play during the service which will be held in his home town of Aldington, Kent.

Details of his funeral were shared earlier this week by his husband Andre Portasio, who said he was grateful for the “overwhelming outpouring of support and love” he has received since O’Grady’s death.

Posting on local Facebook groups on Monday, Mr Portasio confirmed that a private funeral will be held on Thursday but a funeral procession will pass through Aldington before heading to the church, as a way of  “marking Paul’s affection for the area”.

Locals are invited to attend the public procession and stand on Roman Road, Forge Hill or New Road Hill between 2.10pm and 2.45pm on the day to say goodbye.

Born in Birkenhead on the Wirral, Merseyside, O’Grady later adopted Kent as his home for more than 20 years ago. His husband wrote: “Your kind messages, beautiful flowers, and thoughtful texts of condolences have brought me comfort and solace during this difficult time. I’m incredibly grateful for the support and love I have received from our community, and we want to thank each and every one of you for your kindness and generosity.

“As a mark of respect and as Paul would have wanted, we will be holding a private funeral on Thursday, 20th April 2023. This information has not been made public, but I wanted to share it with local residents.

“While the funeral will be a private ceremony, as many of you know, Paul cared a lot about his local community. We have therefore requested that the funeral procession passes through Aldington before heading to the church, as a way of marking Paul’s affection for the area.

“We would therefore like to invite all locals to join us in paying our respects to Paul in Aldington Village between 14:10 - 14:45 on Thursday. In order to avoid road congestion and public disorder, we kindly ask all residents to treat this invitation personally and if attending to stand on either Roman Road, Forge Hill, or New Road Hill so as to respect the villagers and the local area.

“Please note for public safety Church Road as well as Knoll Hill will be closed on the day of the procession. We kindly ask everyone to respect the family’s wishes and maintain social distancing throughout the event. Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.”

A private memorial is also planned for Port Lympne Safari Park, where the 67-year-old was a regular visitor. O’Grady’s family believe he would have wanted the animals he adored to “be around” during his funeral.

Port Lympne is run by the Aspinall Foundation, and home to more than 900 rare and endangered animals, including monkeys, lions and tigers.

Following the death of O’Grady, names from across the drag world including Divina de Campo, The Vivienne, Cheryl Hole and Cheddar Gorgeous led tributes alongside those praising his advocacy for LGBT+ equality, with former Labour politician and campaigner Peter Tatchell and fellow comedian and actor Eddie Izzard among them.