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Lucy Domachowski & Aaron Morris

Paul O'Grady funeral date and details confirmed, as invites to mourn are sent

Paul O'Grady's funeral date has been confirmed, with fans of the TV star and comedian invited to line the streets in mourning.

The funeral is set for Thursday (April 20) with locals from his home village in Kent invited to pay their respects as his cortege passes by.

It comes after Paul died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' aged 67 from cardiac arrhythmia.

Read more: Paul O'Grady's funeral to be held in animal park, reports say

The Mirror reports that his husband has shared the details of Paul's funeral on various local Facebook pages, as the nation prepares to say goodbye later this week.

Widowed Andre released a brand-new picture of the entertainer, smiling broadly, while wearing white angel's wings. Alongside it, he wrote: "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.

"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 memorial is also set to take place at Port Lympne's Safari Park - which Paul frequently visited. His loved ones believe that he would have wanted the animals which he spend his life adoring 'around' during his final farewell, selecting the venue which is home to over 900 rare and endangered animals.

Paul passed away at his home in Kent on March 28, with his official death certificate confirming his cause of death as sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

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