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Prince & Princess of Wales

The Prince of Wales joins mourners at funeral of Sir Bobby Charlton

The Prince of Wales has joined mourners paying their last respects to one of England’s all time greatest sports stars, Sir Bobby Charlton.

Prince William attended Sir Bobby’s funeral at Manchester Cathedral which was held on November 13th 2023.

The heir to the throne was among a congregation numbering around 1,000 that included former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and former England captain, Gary Lineker.

They came to pay tribute to one of the most celebrated footballers of all time. Sir Bobby Charlton won the World Cup with England in 1966 and was also a First Division champion with Manchester United. He scored 49 goals for England and 199 for Manchester United.

Mourners were led by Sir Bobby’s family. His widow, Lady Norma, and their children, Suzanne and Andrea, followed his coffin into the cathedral where the service was taken by Canon Nigel Ashworth. Among the hymns was ‘Abide With Me’, traditionally sung at the FA Cup Final. Sir Bobby played in the final three times.

Before the funeral service, Sir Bobby’s coffin was driven past Old Trafford where he spent the majority his career. A guard of honour, from under 18 and under 21 squads, stood at the ‘United Trinity’ statue which shows Sir Bobby with two other all time greats, George Best and Denis Law.

Sir Bobby died on October 21st 2023 at the age of 88.

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About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.