Jade Goody's emotional funeral

Jade Goody has been laid to rest.

The former 'Big Brother' star's funeral took place today (04.04.09) at St John The Baptist church in Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

Thousands of fans turned out to pay their respects to the star - who lost her battle against cancer on March 22, aged 27 - many bringing flowers and personal tributes to her.

After a short opening to the midday ceremony by Reverend Dr Ian Farley, Jade's husband, Jack Tweed, read his composition 'If Only', moving many of the assembled crowd - who watched the funeral on TV screens outside the church - to tears.

The poem included the lines: "I have asked God to give me strength to face the days alone" and "My life will never be the same without you by my side, grief almost too much to bear, pain difficult to hide."

Referring to Jade's two young sons, Jack concluded with the lines: "When we look into the sky for the brightest star above, Bobby and me and Freddy will send you all our love."

Jade had requested her children not attend the funeral and they are currently in Australia with their father, Jeff Brazier.

The service also included spoken tributes from those close to Jade including her friend and personal trainer Kevin Adams, Reverend Corinne Brixton -who baptised Jade alongside Bobby, five and Freddy, four, last month - and Jade's publicist and friend, Max Clifford.

Max said: "She was someone who wanted to be a star and purely by being herself became a star."

He also thanked those who had had come to the final send-off which started in Bermondsey, South East London, where Jade grew up and ended in Essex, near where she had lived.

He said: "The sun came out for her today, and the people of Essex and Bermondsey came out for her, men women and children. She became a princess of Bermondsey and a queen of Essex."

Proceedings had begun at 8.30am when the funeral cortege left F A Albins and Sons funeral directors in Bermondsey. It briefly stopped next to the local market where a white dove was release into the air in tribute to the TV star.

Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to throw flowers onto the vintage Rolls Royce hearse carrying Jade's white coffin.

The cortege then stopped at Jade's childhood home on the Dickens Estate, where a rose was laid at her mother Jackiey's house. It then went onto Jade's home in Upshire, Essex, to collect other family members before going to the church.

Wreaths placed on the car carrying her body including one in the shape of a Marmite jar - referring to Jade's comparison of herself to the savoury spread's advertising slogan, "You either loved me or you hate me"- and one in bright pink flowers which simply read, "Jade From Bermondsey".

Jade's coffin was carried out of the church to a version of The Beatles song 'Let It Be' and she was later buried by her family in a private ceremony.

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