Details for the funeral of Professor Stephen Hawking

Published: 11:00, 30 March 2018

Professor Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in his early twenties and was given a few years to live. He died on March 14, 2018, aged 76. Picture: Andre Pattenden

Hundreds are expected to line the streets as Cambridge says goodbye to Professor Stephen Hawking on Saturday.

The funeral of Professor Stephen Hawking takes place at Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge, at 2pm on Saturday, March 31.

The service will be attended by Professor Hawking’s family, invited friends and colleagues.

It is a private service and no-one without an invitation will be allowed entrance to the church before or during the funeral service.

Guests are due to begin arriving at Great St Mary’s from 12.30pm and will be in their seats by 1.30pm.

The procession will pass along King’s Parade. It will stop briefly outside the Corpus Christi Chronophage, which Prof Hawking unveiled in 2008.

Porters will lead the cortege on its way to Great St Mary’s.

The hearse will arrive between 1.30-1.45pm and the coffin will then be carried into the church by pall bearers.

There will be no parking available in King’s Parade and Senate House Hill from 6am until 6pm.

Some pedestrian access measures will also be in place around King’s Parade and Great St Mary’s.

But city car parks, Park & Rides, and bus services will run as usual - congestion is expected as the funeral cortege passes through the city.

A Book of Condolence is to be made available on Saturday for the public to sign at the Porters’ Lodge of Professor Hawking’s college, Gonville & Caius.

An online condolence form has also been created by Gonville & Caius

Prof Hawking died at home in Cambridge on March 14, aged 76.

Cambridge Ben Comber