Paul O’Grady’s funeral is scheduled to take place at Port Lympne Safari Park, a cause near and dear to his heart, according to reports.
The much loved TV star died peacefully at his home last month, with his official cause of death confirmed to be a cardiac arrest due to a cardiac arrhythmia, on Saturday.
But as the world continues to mourn the kind hearted star with a big personality, plans are already underway to mark his life at the reserve owned by conservationist Damian Aspinall.
According to The Mail on Sunday, the destination would be exactly what Paul would have wanted, as he adored to “be around” animals.
Paul’s own home in Aldington, Kent, was just three miles away from the Safari Park, with the star revealed to be a regular patron to the reserve, where he frequently judged competitions for them.
While the celebration of Paul’s life and everything he represented is due to take place at the Par, it is also thought that a more formal funeral service will take place a nearby church as his closest friends and family bid him a final farewell.
Speaking to the publication, one source said: “Paul loved Port Lympne. He got to know some of its residents very well and it was thought by his nearest and dearest that it would be a beautiful idea to hold his funeral there so they are in attendance, too. Staff hope they can do him proud.”
Following the news of his death at the end of March, Port Lympne paid a solemn tribute to the star on their Instagram page, as they wrote: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Paul O'Grady – a local supporter of Port Lympne and the work we do.”
“We were incredibly grateful to have had him visit us,” they added.
Set in 600 acres of crisp countryside, Port Lympne plays host to more than 900 rare and endangered animals, including monkeys, lions and tigers, and forms part of a sustained conservation effort to help preserve their numbers.
In addition to the park itself, the stunning grounds also feature the Port Lympne Mansion Hotel, which has hosted a number of high profile guests over the years including Sir Winston Churchill and and Prince Edward.
There is even a restaurant named after Babydoll, one of the reserves’s most famous former residents, a gorilla who sadly died aged 55 back in 2018.
Paul shocked the world two weeks ago, when he died on March 28 at the age of 67.
Best known to the world for his drag alter ego Lily Savage, and for his presenting skills on the ITV series For The Love of Dogs, Paul died peacefully at his home, in his own bed, with husband Andre Portasio by his side.
His cause of death was confirmed to be a cardiac arrhythmia, which has triggered a cardiac arrest, and likely resulted from heart disease, which Paul had suffered with for a number of years.
Prior to his death, the star had suffered heart attacks in 2002, 2006 and 2014, and his parents had sadly died of heart issues, too.
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