Joely Richardson
British actress
I’d prefer no song, and no funeral: I’d like my loved ones to go on a walk, mostly in silence, instead. It’s all better not put into words.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
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As a native-derived person, we don’t believe in death. Death is a western, fear-based concept. We believe that an eternal spirit is housed into a temporary vehicle, and when that vehicle no longer becomes tenable to inhabit, we just move on. If I had to play music, I’d insist on Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.
The Guardian, Honest playlist, The Guardian, 26 October 2025 source ↗
Others on this question
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Ruth Jones
Welsh actress, producer, and writer
Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West).
Sienna Miller
British actress
The Lady Is A Tramp, by Frank Sinatra.
Denise Lewis
Heptathlete and broadcaster
I’m living for ever, so I won’t be having one. But just in case, I can imagine My Way by Frank Sinatra belting out as I’m cremated or put in the ground.
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