Richard Griffiths funeral: Stars pay tearful tribute to actor

Richard Griffiths laid to rest at Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon
Daniel Radcliffe weeps as he leads tributes to beloved star of Withnail and I
Nigel Havers, Lord Fellowes and Jack Whitehall attend moving ceremony
Richard E. Grant sends card: 'To my beloved Uncle Monty, chin chin'

PUBLISHED: 10:18 EST, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 10:52 EST, 9 April 2013

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe wept today as beloved actor Richard Griffiths was laid to rest at a church where Shakespeare was buried.

The Hollywood actor was one of 300 mourners paying their respects to the 65-year-old, best known for his roles in Withnail and I, Pie in the Sky and The History Boys.

Mr Radcliffe led tributes to his friend during the funeral service at Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon, saying he made any room 'twice as funny'.

Laid to rest: Pallbearers carrying the coffin of actor Richard Griffiths at his funeral in Stratford-upon-Avon

Mourners: The actor's Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe was part of the crowd paying their respects

Julian Fellowes

Nigel Havers

Friends: Downton Abbey creator Lord Fellowes, left, and actor Nigel Havers, right, attended the service today

One mourner said: 'Daniel was clearly very fond of Richard, as anyone who ever met him was, and was crying quite openly in church.

'It was a beautiful service and Richard would have been touched by how many people turned up to say goodbye.

'Richard was a tremendous character and the service was full of laughter and tears as his life was remembered with immense warmth and affection.'

Mr Griffiths' 3ft-wide coffin, especially made to accommodate his bulky frame, entered the church to the hymn Praise My Soul The King of Heaven.

Beloved: The 65-year-old actor is known for his roles in Withnail and I, Harry Potter and The History Boys

Church: The ceremony took place a Holy Trinity church, near where Mr Griffiths lived with his wife Heather

Jack Whitehall

Daniel Radcliffe

Young fans: Mr Griffiths' godson Jack Whitehall, left, and Daniel Radcliffe, right, joined their older peers

Inside the plain order of service, a portrait of Mr Griffiths playing Hector in The History Boys was printed along with the poem Late Fragment by Raymond Carver.

His fellow actor Paul Jesson read an excerpt from Kenneth Grahame's Wind In The Willows before two more poems read by family friends.

Former Bond girl Carmen Du Sautoy read from Ecclesiastes, then tenor Graham Neal sung Danny Boy.

Mr Griffiths' agent Simon Beresford spoke of his life with the actor and sitcom star Penelope Wilton read Mr Griffiths' favourite Edward Lear poem, The Owl and the Pussycat.

Wreath: A vegetable wreath sent by Mr Griffiths' co-star from Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant

'To my beloved Uncle Monty, chin chin': A vegetable wreath sent by Mr Griffiths' co-star from Withnail and I, Richard E. Grant

Crowd: Nigel Havers chats to other mourners outside the church where Shakespeare is buried

Crowd: Nigel Havers chats to Withnail and I director/writer Bruce Robinson outside the church

John Nettles

David Bradley

Saying goodbye: Bergerac star John Nettles, left, and Harry Potter actor David Bradley, right, were also there

After! the cong! regation sang There Is A Green Hill Far Away, former Coronation Street actor John Bowe read from Act Four Scene One of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

The coffin left the church after the final hymn, Thine Be the Glory, to a recital of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos.

Comedian Jack Whitehall, who was Mr Griffiths' godson, and Downton Abbey creator Lord Fellowes also attended the funeral.

Flowers from Dame Judi Dench and Richard E. Grant were laid in front of the church.

Success: Veteran star Mr Griffiths pictured picking up his Tony Award in New York in 2006

Cult favourite: Mr Griffiths as Uncle Monty with Mr Grant in 1987 film Withnail and I

Recognisable: Mr Griffiths with co-star Stephen Campbell Moore in the film version of The History Boys

Mr Grant, who starred alongside Mr Griffiths in the 1987 cult hit Withnail and I, sent a vegetable wreath with a note reading: 'To my beloved Uncle Monty, chin chin, all my love Richard E. Grant.'

Bergerac star John Nettles and Nigel Havers also paid their respects alongside Mark Williams, who played Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

Mr Griffiths built his reputation as a young actor treading the boards at the Royal Shakespe! are Compa! ny in the Warwickshire town.

He is survived by Heather, his wife of 33 years, who lives in the couple's home in the nearby village of Bearley.