Family and colleagues gather for Ann Widdecombe’s funeral
BUCKFAST, Devon — About 100 family members, friends and colleagues gathered at Buckfast Abbey on Tuesday for the funeral of former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe,
BUCKFAST, Devon — About 100 family members, friends and colleagues gathered at Buckfast Abbey on Tuesday for the funeral of former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe, whose death has prompted a murder investigation in Devon.
The private requiem mass took place in the Catholic abbey where Widdecombe worshipped regularly and once called her “safe haven”. Police officers and sniffer dogs were seen in the grounds before the service, which lasted about 90 minutes. Short. Heavy. Final.
A private service at her “safe haven”
Those attending arrived in black for the service, with the abbey church filled by mourners who knew Widdecombe as a politician, a worshipper and, for some, a friend. The procession later left Buckfast Abbey, where she was laid to rest.
The Rt Rev David Charlesworth, Abbot of Buckfast, gave the homily during the mass. He told mourners: “In the midst of the shock, clamour and sometimes unwarranted comment surrounding her death, our response is to pray for the repose of her soul, to give thanks for her fortitude, and offer Holy Mass in this Abbey Church which Ann called her safe haven.”
Tributes inside the abbey
A statement from the Abbey Church said Widdecombe would be “missed and fondly remembered” and added that “many in our worshipping community knew her as a kind and warm character”. The abbey also said: “Ann was a woman of profound faith, a faith which f
The funeral comes after Widdecombe died on 8 July aged 78 and was found with serious head injuries at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor. She later emerged as a Reform UK spokeswoman after serving as a Conservative MP and minister.
What happens next
Her family has said a public memorial will be held later this year, while a private service for close friends and family is already planned. Police are still working on what they have described as a complex investigation, and a 28-year-old man from Rotherham has appeared in court charged with her murder.
The case has drawn wide attention in Britain’s political world, not least because Widdecombe spent decades in public life and remained a recognisable figure after leaving the Commons. The memorial, when it comes, will add another layer to a death that has already shaken colleagues, worshippers and former constituents alike.
