You haven’t got to be royal to plan your own funeral

It’s been mentioned many times during the last week that HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, planned the details of his funeral. He had a hand in everything from the hearse to the music, the readings to the fact that there was no eulogy.

Prince Philip thought about his funeral in advance and there’s no reason why all of us can’t write down what we’d like – in as much or as little detail as we want – and so give our families the relief at not having to second guess our wishes.

All you need to do is make some notes and give as many copies as you like to whoever you trust to put the arrangements in place when you die. Don’t forget that if you change your mind or want to add something, you’ll have to make sure that everyone gets a copy of the new version – and do put the date on all of your notes.

You can write the entire order of service if you like, but you could start off by answering these questions:

  • Do you want there to be a funeral service, or do you not want to have any service at all?
  • Burial or cremation?
  • Religious or non-religious?
  • Where do you want the funeral to take place (e.g. which cemetery or crematorium)?
  • What favourite readings or music would you like to have in the service?

We often provide clients with a booklet to think about when planning a funeral for their loved one which may help you further. There are lots more details into which you can go if you want, but any choices that you make in advance will help those closest to you when the time comes.

Planning the details of your funeral doesn’t have to include paying for it, but if you’d like to take this step we can help you with our independent Open Prepaid Funeral Plans.

The main thing is to make a start – put something on a blank page and come back to it as often as you want.

We find that when our clients have some information they are more certain about what they are arranging.

There is one caveat: you might find that your family and friends are not comfortable with your plans. They might be more traditional than you, or simply feel that there should be more or less 'fuss' than you are planning.

For this reason we suggest you have a conversation about what you’ve decided and why. Explain your decisions and try to ensure people to accept your point of view, whatever that might be and even if they disagree with it.

You might find these links helpful in your planning:

https://www.funeralinspirations.co.uk/

https://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/

http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/

And of course we are here to help with no obligation.

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I am from Germany and my sister died in a Hospital in London. I asked if Leverton can help us and what we have to do. Carmel was so kind and helpfull to us, so everything was as we wanted. Many thanks from us to Carmel and the Team behind. Best regards. Mathias

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The funeral went as planned with kindness, dignity and with all the expected support in difficult times. Leverton & Sons are still with us after more than 200 years for good reason. Thank you.

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Thank you to Michael and the team for their time & understanding at at difficult time. I have had a positive experience during all the communication with this company and would recommend them.

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From start to finish Levertons funeral directors have been nothing short of first class in dealing with firstly our fathers funeral and some 10 months later our mother's, their patience, understanding and organisational awareness just took so much pressure of us, just professional in every way.

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When our grandmother passed away, we chose Leverton & Sons and were supported by Lorna throughout the process. She was incredibly kind, considerate, knowledgeable, and thoughtful. As it was my first time organising a funeral, I truly appreciated the care and guidance we received. Lorna took the time to walk us through everything and made a very difficult time more manageable. The team was also very accommodating to our needs, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Leverton & Sons. Thank you so much, Lorna.

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