Big fat gipsy funeral
Mourners’ Rolls-Royce convoy to salute ‘the king of travellers’
Adorned with Irish flags, a fleet of rolls-royces yesterday led hundreds of mourners in a funeral procession for the man dubbed the ‘king of all travellers’.
Travellers from all over the country descended on a suburban Surrey church to pay their respects to Simon doherty, the father of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy doherty.
They joined the reality TV personality to say goodbye to his father in an extravagant ceremony at St Michael’s Church in Ashtead.
Mr doherty Sr, who was in his 80s, had more than 150 grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. His son Paddy, a former bare-knuckle fighter, became known after appearing in the Channel 4 series.
He later appeared alongside speaker’s wife Sally Bercow in Celebrity Big Brother, with the pair going on to star in their own reality show When Paddy Met Sally.
Paying tribute to his ‘outstanding’ father, who died in hospital last week, Mr doherty, 58, said: ‘He was like Mafia in his own way, not in a bad way – any trouble they would go to him. He was like the godfather – what he said was law.’
Mr doherty Sr’s coffin was decorated with the colours of the Irish flag and bore the message ‘Simon doherty – blacksmith, King of all doherty’s [sic]’.
After the service, it was driven to a north London cemetery by horse and carriage, before being carried down a red carpet as white doves were released.