Fly away, dear Derek
Kate & kids say farewell
KATE Garraway bid farewell to her beloved husband Derek Draper yesterday as the world of showbiz and politics came together to pay their respects.
Daughter Darcey, 17, acted as a pallbearer when the coffin, strewn with purple and white flowers, made its way from the church.
Kate, 56, wore Derek’s watch to the funeral at St Mary the Virgin Church in Primrose Hill, North London, with a source explaining: “She wanted a piece of Derek to be with her on the day.” The former political lobbyist turned psychologist married the Good Morning Britain presenter at the same church in September 2005.
Sir Elton John sang Skyline Pigeon at the two-hour service, and wore purple-tinted glasses, Derek’s favourite colour.
The 1969 song contains the lyrics “fly away, skyline pigeon fly, towards the dreams, you’ve left so very far behind”.
The superstar had previously invited Kate and Derek to be his guests of honour at his Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert at London’s O2 Arena last year. The order of service paid tribute to their “dear friend” Sir Elton who “supported them right from the very first day” that Derek had fallen ill.
Children Darcey and brother Billy, 14, had left notes on the coffin, which said: “I love you with all my heart” and “I love you dad”.
Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair gave a speech, with Labour leader Keir Starmer among mourners.
Other political heavyweights included former Labour MPS Lord Mandelson and Ed Balls, Shadow Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, Sir Tony’s wife Cherie Blair and ex-no10 director of communications Alastair Campbell. Derek, a key New Labour figure in the 1990s, was a
Dear friend Sir Elton supported them from the very first day ORDER OF SERVICE TRIBUTE PAID TO STAR
researcher for Lord
Mandelson.
GMB stars Charlotte Hawkins, Ben Shephard, Richard Madeley, Alex Beresford, Rob Rinder, Susanna Reid, Sean Fletcher and Richard Arnold also attended, along with singer and TV presenter Myleene Klass, and actress Tina Hobley. They were joined by journalist Robert Peston, talent manager Jonathan Shalit, radio presenter Roman Kemp, former Sky News political editor Adam
Boulton and ex-labour MP Gloria De Piero. Presenter Fiona Phillips, This Morning editor Martin Frizell, and former GMB star Piers Morgan also attended.
Kate left the church carrying a candle.
Draper fell ill during the early part of the pandemic and spent 13 months in hospital.
He died on January 3, aged 56. Kate announced his death, saying: “He has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December
which, because of damage inflicted by Covid in 2020, led to further complications.”
Kate fronted two ITV documentaries on how life had changed after his illness, winning a National Television Award for Caring for Derek.
Draper, ex-director of lobbying firm GPC Market Access, was caught up in the “Lobbygate” scandal in the 1990s.
He helped found Progress to support Blair, and the Labourlist, but stepped down in 2009.
He wrote Blair’s Hundred Days, and Life Support: A Survival Guide for the
Modern Soul.