In memoriam

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were represented by Dame Penelope Keith at a service of thanksgiving for the life of Mr Ronnie Corbett held yesterday in Westminster Abbey.

The Duke of York was represented by Sarah, Duchess of York.

The Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean, officiated. Mr Simon Parker Bowles read the first lesson and Miss Joanna Lumley read the second lesson. Mr James Moir gave an address. Mr Jimmy Tarbuck and Mr Rob Brydon paid tribute to Mr Corbett.

The Rev Christopher Stoltz, Minor Canon and Precentor, led prayers, assisted by Ms Emma Corbett and Ms Sophie Corbett Grahame (daughters), Mr Tom Corbett (grandson), Mr Simon Parker Bowles and the Rev Anthony Ball, Canon in Residence.

The BBC Concert Orchestra, under the musical direction of Mr Richard Balcombe, played before and after the service. Miss Ruthie Henshall, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, sang I’ll be

Seeing You, by Fain and Kahal, arranged by Mr Balcombe.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Ian Adams, attended. Among others present were:

Mrs Corbett (widow), Mr Gordon Grahame, Mr Peter Wheal Jones and other members of the family.

The Marquess and Marchioness of Landsdowne, Lady Carina Frost, Lord Dalmeny, Lady Annabel Goldsmith, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, Director General of the BBC, Lord Palmer, Manderston Cricket Club, Lord Colwyn, Lord Fellowes, Lord Mccoll of Dulwich, Cornelia, Lady Palmer, Baroness Grey-thompson, the Hon Sir Rocco and Lady Forte, the Hon Hugo and Mrs Palmer, the Hon Lalla Ward, the Hon Charlotte Bingham, the Hon Mark and Mrs Palmer, the Hon George Palmer, the Hon Mrs Charlton, the Hon Nigel and Mrs Havers, Sir Michael Codron, Lady Cotton, Lady Forsyth, Sir Anthony Jolliffe, Dame Shirley Oxenbury, Sir John Madejski, Dame Patricia Routledge, Sir Richard and Lady Stilgoe, Lady Young, Lady Walport, Chairman, The Amber Trust, Mr Scott Mitchell and Dame Barbara Windsor.

Ms Anne Bulford, Deputy Director General, BBC, with Ms Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, Mr Mark Linsey, Director, BBC Studios, Mr Shane Allen, Controller, BBC Comedy Commissioning, Mr Patrick Holland, Channel Controller, BBC2, Mr Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History, Mr Matt Eastley, Editor, Ariel, Ms Claire Mccarthy, Ms Sarah Asante and Mr Jon Plowman; Mr Robert Lindsay, President, The Royal Theatrical Fund, and Mrs Lindsay, Mr Peter Charlton, Chairman, Max Wall Society, Mr Giles Cooper, Chairman, Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund, Mr Matt Hood, Assistant General Secretary, Equity, Mr Raymond Greenway, Chairman, Carer To Carer Croydon Carers, Mr Richard Price, Chairman, Home Farm Trust, Mrs Carolyn Webb, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Mr Richard Pacitti, Chief Executive MIND, Croydon, Mr Neil Benson, Founder, Saints and Sinners Club, Prof Roger Kirby, Urology Foundation, Mr John Harvey, Stroke Association, Mr Geoff Bowden, British Music Hall Society, Mr Anthony Webster, RNLI, Ms Avis Hakes, Last Chance Animal Rescue, Mr Henry Fairweather, Captain, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Mr Rodney Timson, Mrs James Moir, Mrs Rob Brydon, Mrs Jimmy Tarbuck, Mrs Simon Parker Bowles, Mr George Frost, Canon and Mrs Arthur Quinn, Mr Peter Mansfield, Mr and Mrs Laurie Mansfield, Ms Mandy Ward, Ms Catherine Watson, Mr and Mrs Larry Barker, Ms Charlotte Barker, Mr and Mrs Peter Bowles, Miss Jo Brand, Mrs Richard Briers, Mr and Mrs Gyles Brandreth, Mr and Mrs Tim Brooketaylor, Mr Julian Clary, Miss Stephanie Cole, Mr and Mrs Ray Cooney, Mr Michael Crawford, Mr Barry Cryer, Mr Ben Elton, Mrs Joanna Fox, Mr Stephen Fry and Mr Elliott Spencer, Ms Annie Galbraith, Mr and Mrs Bernard Gallacher, Mr Charlie Higson, Mr and Mrs Harry Hill, Miss Patricia Hodge, Mr and Mrs Roy Hudd, Mr David Janson, Miss Sue Johnston, Mr Allan Lamb, Mr Graham Norton, Miss Susan Penhaligon, Mr David Lamb, Mr and Mrs Eddie Large, Mrs Maureen Lipman, Mrs Derek Nimmo, Mr Piers Nimmo, Mr and Mrs Nicholas Parsons, Mr and Mrs Robert Powell, Miss Clodagh Rodgers, Mrs Peter Skellern, Mr James Tarbuck, Mr David Walliams, Mrs Kathleen Williams, Mr Lincoln Townley and Miss Denise Welch, Miss June Whitfield, Mr and Mrs Simon Williams, Mr Richard Wilson, Mr and Mrs Anton Mossiman, Mr and Mrs Raman Subba Row, Mr Frederick Pyne, Miss Samantha Bond, Miss Lesley Garrett, Mr Henry Wyndham, Mr and Mrs Sam Parker Bowles.

Miss Lynda Baron, Ms Jean Bayless, Mr and Mrs Bob Bevan, Miss Vivienne Clore, Miss Bridget Brice, Mr Jon Culshaw, Mr Hugh Dennis, Ms Monica Dolan, Mr Jeremy Dyson, Mr Kevin Eldon, Mr Kulvinder Ghir, Miss Marguerite Hardiman, Mr Nicky Henson and Miss Marguerite Porter, Miss Doreen Hermitage, Mr Jim Howick, Mr Robin Ince, Mr and Mrs Ralph Ineson, Mr Adam James, Mr Jeremy James Taylor, Ms Juliette Kaplan, Ms Shobu Kapoor, Miss Heather Bleasdale, Mr Ben Kellett, Ms Sara Kestelman, Mrs Jeremy Lloyd, Ms Cariad Lloyd, Ms Jenny Logan, Mr and Mrs Lee Mack, Ms Diane Morgan, Ms Clovissa Newcombe, Mrs David Nobbs, Ms Toni Palmer, Ms Krupa Pattani, Mr Tim Renkow, Ms Lizzie Roper, Miss Anna Sharkey, Mr Reece Shearsmith, Mr Guy Siner, Mr Joe Tucker, Miss Amy Vosburgh, Ms Nina Wadia, Mrs Valerie Walsh, Mr James Wrighton, Mr and Mrs David Renwick, Mr Lloyd Woolf, Mr Armando Iannucci, Miss Barunka O’shaughnessy.

Mr Peter Vincent, Mr Paul Coleman, Ms Holly Aird, Mr Joe Purefoy, Mrs Nelly Merritt, Mr Joseph Bader, Mr Mark Bader, Mr and Mrs David Earle, Ms Emma Ferguson, Ms Sandra Huggett, Mr Brian Huggett, Miss Mary Husband, Mrs S. Ingleby-mackenzie, Prof and Mrs Gerald Libby, Mr Bernard Lloyd-jones, Ms Kirsty Lloyd-jones, Mr Elio Pace, Mrs Ros Packer, Ms Jen Palmer-violet, Mr and Mrs John Quested, Ms Libby Reevespurdie, Ms Jo Rendle, Mr and Mrs Donald Rice, Mr and Mrs Alexander Spencer-churchill, Miss Barbara Whatley, Mr Billy Differ, Dr and Mrs Bobby Abbot, Dr and Mrs Amit Abbot, Mr Israel J. Allen, Mr and Mrs Kevin Bishop, Mr Peter Blond, Mr Mike Daunt, Mr Tony Murkett, Dr Aleksander Radunovic, Ms Natalie Roles, Mr and Mrs John Vigar, Mr and Mrs Richard Young, Mr Max Olesker, Mr Mathew Horne, Mr Andy Riley, Mr Kit Hesketh-harvey, Mr Stanley Mcmurtry, Mr Mark Nicholas, Mr George O’grady, Mr Joe Stilgoe, Mr and Mrs Bill Martin, Mr Kenn Oldfield, Mr and Mrs Jimmy Patton, Mr and Mrs Brian Patton, Mr and Mrs Denis King, Mr and Mrs Edward Hall.

Mr Greg Dyke, Mr Will Wyatt, Mr Alan Yentob, Ms Lorraine Heggessey, Mr and Mrs Harold Snoad, Mr and Mrs Alan Boyd, Mr Colin Browne, Mr Rupert Gavin, Mr and Mrs Paul Jackson, Mr and Mrs Mike Leggo, Ms Avril Macrory, Ms Wendy Allnut, Mr Louis Barfe, Mr Chris Bellinger, Mr Edward Cook, Mr Tom Loxley, Mr Dean Lydiate, Ms Natasha Maclean, Mr Keith Anderson, Ms Liz Anstee, Mr Stan Appel, Mrs Jennifer Binsted, Mr Kevin Bishop, Mr Roger Blagg, Mrs Eddie Braben, Mr David Braithwaite, Mr Jason Carter, Mr Kevin Cecil, Mr Keith Clement, Mr Brian Clifford, Ms Caroline Dapré, Mr and Mrs William Dudman, Ms Tara Duffy, Mr and Mrs Bob Dulson, Mr Charles Fairall, Mrs Norma Farns, Mr Charles Garland, Ms Helen Gartell, Ms Fiona Gilbert, Ms Julie Griffiths, Mr Graham Hall, Ms Juley Harding, Ms Julie Hill, Ms Sarah Hitchcock, Mr and Mrs Roy Holder, Mrs Marion Horton-smith, Mrs Sandra Hurll, Mr Paul R. Jackson, Mr Jeremy Jacobs, Mr Tony James, Ms Mary Kalenkerian, Mr and Mrs John Kaye Cooper, Ms Sarah Lockett, Mr and Mrs Colin Marchant, Ms Maggie Mccarthy, Ms Lynne Mcculloch, Ms Anne Mcnaught, Ms Jenny Moir, Ms Caroline Morgan, Mr Marcus Mortimer, Ms Caroline Murton, Mr and Mrs Tony Newman, Mr and Mrs Steve Nicklin, Ms Maggie Partington-smith, Mr Christopher Rayner, Ms Stella Richards, Ms Joan Stribling, Ms Suzy Topolski, Mr Bobby Warans, Mr Robert Webb, Ms Rosalyn Wilder, Ms Sioned William, Ms Penny Rainford, Mr Stephen Claypole and Mr and Mrs John Adams, together with many other friends.