The Vivienne laid to rest as horse-drawn carriage arrives at church
Liverpool’s own drag trailblazer The Vivienne’s funeral is taking place today, Monday, January 27. The city was heartbroken by the news of the death of the 32-year-old, real name James Lee Williams, when it was confirmed by publicist Simon Jones.
In an emotional Instagram post, Simon explained the TV personality was more than a client to him, and had become a cherished friend. Since the news broke on Sunday, January 5, tributes have poured in from all over the world, with a number of messages from Liverpool - the city where The Vivienne made a name for herself before being catapulted to international fame after winning the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019.
The performer is being laid to rest at a church in Bodelwyddan in Denbighshire, North Wales - where they are originally from. A horse-drawn carriage arrived outside the church, with the coffin inside topped with a white floral arrangement.
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The tributes inside the hearse read “Vivienne” and “Son”. Among those in attendance are Steps singer Ian “H” Watkins, TV personality Kim Woodburn, singer Jade Thirlwall and X-Factor’s Marcus Collins.
Many wore green for the service and Vivienne Westwood badges were worn on the lapels of some of the men’s suits. Presenters Ant and Dec also shared their condolences with The Vivienne’s family on social media, after having worked with them on an episode of ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
The funeral comes just over a week after hundreds gathered outside St George's Hall to pay their respects. Family, friends and fans released green balloons into the air to The Vivienne's favourite songs from Wicked - a musical they were known to love and inspired their role as the witch in the touring production of Wizard of Oz just last year.
On Monday, January 6, Cheshire Police said officers had been called to an address in Chorlton-by-Backford, near Chester, at 12.22pm on Sunday following reports of a sudden death.
The spokesman added: “Police attended, investigated the circumstances of the death of the 32-year-old man and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances. A file will be prepared for the coroner.”