Kate Garraway bids her husband Derek Draper, a tearful farewell at the church where they tied the knot 20 years ago.
The Good Morning Britain presenter was joined by family, friends, and celebrities at St Mary the Virgin Church in Primrose Hill, London, to pay tribute to the former lobbyist and political adviser, who died on January 3 at 56.
Draper had been battling the long-term effects of Covid-19 since March 2020, when he was admitted to hospital and placed in a coma. He suffered multiple organ failures, infections, and a heart attack during his ordeal, which left him with brain damage and unable to speak.
“You Will Never Be Forgotten’: Kate Garraway’s Emotional Tribute to Derek Draper”
Garraway, 54, who documented her husband’s struggle in the award-winning documentary Finding Derek, wore a black dress and a face mask as she arrived at the church with their two children, Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14.
Among the mourners were Garraway’s co-stars Susanna Reid, Ben Shephard, Richard Arnold, and Charlotte Hawkins, as well as former prime ministers Tony Blair and Keir Starmer, pop legend Sir Elton John, and TV personalities Fiona Phillips, Kay Burley, and Brendan Cole.
The funeral service, which was limited to 30 people due to COVID-19 restrictions, featured readings, prayers, and music, including a rendition of Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, which Draper had arranged as a surprise for Garraway at their wedding in 2005.
Garraway paid an emotional tribute to her husband, calling him “the love of my life” and “the most brilliant, funny, courageous, and generous person I have ever known”. She thanked him for their “wonderful years together” and for their “beautiful children”, who she said were his “greatest legacy”.
She also thanked the doctors, nurses, and carers who looked after Draper during his illness and the fans and viewers who sent their messages of support and love.
She said: “Derek, you fought so hard to stay with us, and I’m so proud of you. You will always be in our hearts and our memories. You will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, my darling.”
The service ended with a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, Draper’s favourite song, as his coffin was carried out of the church and into a hearse.
Garraway and her children followed the hearse to a nearby cemetery, where Draper was laid to rest in a private burial.
