Thousands of mourners and well-wishers lined the streets of Cambridge Saturday morning for the funeral of renowned physicist Stephen Hawking.
The ceremony was held at the University Church of St. Mary the Great near Gonville and Caius College, which boasts a building named for the iconic British professor.
Eddie Redmayne, who nabbed an Oscar for his portrayal of Hawking in the 2014 film “The Theory of Everything,” was one of the readers during the service, and Felicity Jones — who played his wife Jane Hawking — was also present. Other guests seen arriving include Elon Musk, model Lily Cole and playwright Alan Bennett.
British physicist Stephen Hawking died peacefully in his home earlier this month.
(Evan Agostini/ASSOCIATED PRESS)Diagnosed with motor neurone disease at 21, Hawking battled the deadly degenerative condition and became one of the top scientific minds in the world.
He earned international acclaim with the publication of “A Brief History of Time” in 1988. His work since has ranged from the origins of the universe, time travel and the probing of black holes in outer space.
Hawking died peacefully at his Cambridge home on March 14. He was 76.
Crowds of people flooding the streets cheered as the hearse pulled up to the church Saturday for the funeral service.
Eddie Redmayne during a reading as he joins family and friends of Hawking at his funeral.
(Andrew Parsons/ZUMAPRESS.com)The ceremony included space-themed music specifically composed for Hawking called “Beyond the Night Sky.” It had been inspired by a poem and quotes in “A Brief History of Time” and sounds common in recordings from space.
The professor’s eldest son Robert, former student Fay Dowker and Astronomer Royal Martin Rees were also among those who addressed the congregation, according to BBC.
Members of the church choir arrive at Great St Marys Church, where the funeral of theoretical physicist Hawking is being held Saturday in Cambridge, Britain.
(Henry Nicholls/REUTERS)“His name will live in the annals of science; millions have had their cosmic horizons widened by his best-selling books; and even more, around the world, have been inspired by a unique example of achievement against all odds — a manifestation of amazing will-power and determination,” Rees said in an appreciate published earlier this month.
Hawking’s ashes are slated to be interred in June alongside the likes of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin in the Westminster Abbey.
With News Wire Services
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