On Monday, January 27, mourners gathered at the funeral of James Lee Williams, better known as drag performer The Vivienne. The 32-year-old was laid to rest in the north of Wales after being found dead at their home in Cheshire earlier in the month.

As the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1, the crown and sceptre they received on the show were carried into St Margaret’s Church for the ceremony. The coffin arrived in a horse-drawn carriage, topped with a white floral arrangement.

The Vivienne’s funeral was attended by many well-known figures, including singer Jade Thirlwall, Steps artist Ian ‘H’ Watkins, and TV personality Kim Woodburn. Several fellow drag stars also paid their respects, such as Cheryl Hole, Baga Chipz, Veronica Green, Tia Kofi and Danny Beard.

Similarly, colleagues from the performer’s musical theatre career were in attendance, including Aston Merrygold from the boyband JLS. He featured alongside The Vivienne in a stage production of The Wizard of Oz last year.

After the service, mourners gathered on the lawn outside the church where white doves were released.

The funeral followed a vigil that took place on January 12 outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool. The venue was lit up in green while the crowd performed a moving rendition of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’, a nod to their role in The Wizard of Oz.

Publicist Simon Jones, who first confirmed the performer’s death, spoke at the gathering, saying: “I will remember The Vivienne as being a really kind-hearted, lovely person as well as being the most amazing talent.”

He continued: “What I loved the most about The Vivienne was that she made me laugh the whole time. There is literally no one who has made me laugh as much as Viv, whether that was at a show where she was reading the audience… or when we were going for lunch or dinner or hanging out.

“There was always a quick one-liner and something a bit savage. She was always hilarious and I’m really going to miss that. She brought so much love and warmth into my life.”