Mourning Goldsmith family paint picture of ‘simply spectacular’ Iris
SHE was their “angel”; a teenage girl who was “simply spectacular” and “magical”. Yesterday, the family of Iris Goldsmith made public the heart-rending eulogy delivered at the private funeral for the 15-year-old.
Her mother said it was difficult “to really do her justice” through the “ocean of grief” that loved ones were now experiencing.
Iris, the daughter of Ben Goldsmith, 38, and Kate Rothschild, died suddenly on Monday July 8 when a vehicle she was driving, similar to a quad bike, overturned in a field on the family farm in North Brewham, Somerset. A friend who was with her survived the accident and raised the alarm.
The pain felt by her parents, both scions of famous banking dynasties, was laid bare at the funeral held in St Mary’s Church in Barnes, south-west London. The funeral took place on Wednesday but details of the service were disclosed 48 hours later. The parents also authorised the release of photographs of their daughter growing up.
“I can’t possibly begin to explain the ocean of grief we find ourselves in or the feeling of being shattered into a thousand unfindable pieces,” her mother told mourners.
“And even harder than that would be to explain her, to really do her justice. She was simply spectacular, her light was brighter than any I’ve ever known. She was just magical, but there aren’t enough words, or I don’t know how to find them, at least.”
In attendance were Iris’s brothers, Frank and Isaac, who also delivered a message at the funeral. The service was led by Dr Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Buckingham.
The release of the photographs and the sharing of details of the service coincided with the opening of an inquest into the teenager’s death.
Ms Rothschild described her daughter as “fun” but also “hard working”.
“Iris was life-giving and free and fun and wild,” said Ms Rothschild, “but she also worked harder than any girl I’ve ever known and she cared, she cared so much about living her best life.”
Ms Rothschild, 37, added: “If there is any glimmer of light in this darkness, it’s that you will keep her in your hearts, remember the words she gave you and the way she made you feel and let it drive you forwards.
“Take every opportunity that is given to you, live life as openly and fully as you possibly can, love like she loved, live like she lived, work like she worked, try like she tried.
“Live your lives like she would have wanted you to, thrive like she wanted you to and like she intended to. And then maybe, just maybe this won’t all have been for nothing.”
And in a final, moving tribute, the girl’s grieving mother said: “Goodbye, my angel. You were always on a whole other level to the rest of us, now you are truly untouchable, I am so proud of you and I always will be. We will miss you for the rest of time.”
Mr Goldsmith – brother of Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith and socialite Jemima Khan – and Ms Rothschild married in 2003 and divorced in 2012.
Yesterday, an inquest into Iris’s death was opened with a hearing at the coroner’s court in Taunton. Police are not treating her death as suspicious.
Senior coroner Tony Williams said: “I understand she was the driver of a left-hand drive all-terrain-type vehicle when it turned over for reasons that are yet to be established, and as a result it is believed she suffered fatal injures.”
Mr Williams said pathologist Dr Edwin Cooper, of Yeovil District Hospital, had confirmed Iris’s cause of death was “not currently ascertained”.
The final inquest hearing is expected next year.
‘I can’t begin to explain the ocean of grief we find ourselves in or the feeling of being shattered into pieces’