Paul O'Grady: Funeral on Thursday and locals invited to line streets

Paul O’Grady’s funeral will be held on Thursday with locals invited to line the streets as funeral cortege passes through his home village in Kent after his death at age 67 from cardiac arrhythmia

• Paul O’Grady died at the age of 67 from died from cardiac arrhythmia last month
• His partner Andre Portasio shared the details of funeral local Facebook pages 
• New picture of Paul smiling while wearing white angel’s wings also released 

National treasure Paul O’Grady’s funeral will be held on Thursday and locals have been invited to line streets near his home as the cortege passes through the village where he lived.

Paul’s partner Andre Portasio shared the details on local Facebook pages as he released a new picture of the entertainer smiling broadly while wearing white angel’s wings.

In his message Andre said: ‘I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of support and love I have received since the passing of our beloved Paul O’Grady.

‘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. 

Paul O’Grady’s partner Andre Portasio released a new picture of the entertainer smiling broadly while wearing white angel’s wings

Locals have been invited to line streets near Paul’s home as the cortege passes through the village where he lived. Pictured: Paul O’Grady and partner Andre Portasio

‘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 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 event is planned to take place at Port Lympne Safari Park near his home afterwards

Andre Portasio expressed his gratitude ‘for the overwhelming outpouring of support and love I have received’ following Paul’s death at 67

Paul O’Grady laughs as the Queen looks at a corgi at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in March 2015

Paul O’Grady and Queen Consort Camilla during her visit to the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home centre in Brands Hatch, Kent, in February last year

Paul O’Grady hosted classic TV quiz show Blankety Blank as his alter-ego Lily Savage

A private event is then planned to take place at Port Lympne Safari Park near his home, which is just three miles from Aldington where Paul lived and where he often judged animal competitions.

Following his death last month aged 67, Port Lympne, which is home to more than 900 rare and endangered animals on a 600 acres park paid tribute to the Liverpool born star.

Writing on its Instagram page the park said:’ We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Pual O’Grady – a local supporter of Port Lympne and the world we do.

‘We were incredibly grateful to have him visit us.’

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