Five hundred guests are expected to attend the funeral of Stephen Hawking in Cambridge today, with thousands of admirers and locals lining the streets to watch his cortege pass by.
Images shared on Twitter show crowds four-deep on the cobbled streets of the famous university town, with barriers having been erected to contain them.
Read more: Fearne Cotton reveals the truth behind her cute Easter pic with fluffy chick
Hollywood star Eddie Redmayne, who played Hawking in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything, will give a reading at the service, and was earlier spotted by Twitter user Abigail Rabbett (@abigailRabbett) making his way into the church.
Other well-known faces seen arriving for the sad event included supermodel Lily Cole, who graduated from Cambridge University in 2011 with a double first class degree in the History of Art.
Read more: Katie Piper’s poignant message on 10th anniversary of acid attack
Twitter users also report seeing legendary Queen guitarist Brian May, and Irish comic Dara O Briain arriving, along with playwright Alan Bennett and actress Felicity Jones.
Professor Hawking died last month, aged 76.
The funeral service is being held at the University Church of St Mary the Great in Cambridge, close to the Gonville and Caius College where Professor Hawking was a fellow.
It will be followed by a reception for guests at Trinity College.
The renowned Professor’s ashes will be interred at Westminster Abbey, reportedly near the grave of Sir Isaac Newton, in a service of thanksgiving for his life later this year.
Since his death on March 14, thousands of people have attended Gonville and Caius College to sign a book of condolence for him.
Although an atheist, it is thought his family chose a church funeral for him to allow as many of his friends and admirers as possible to be able to attend.
His children, Lucy, Robert and Tim said in a statement at the time of his death: “He once said: ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love’.
“We will miss him for ever.”
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix