A couple who were married for more than seven decades were laid to rest in a joint funeral after they died within days of each other.
Frances Chandler, 101, and her husband Bernard, 97, were married for 75 years and had five children, 10 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
Their family was left devastated after Frances passed away on November 6 and Bernard followed only three weeks later.
The grieving family has revealed that the couple were laid to rest in the same ceremony so they could stay together.
Speaking to the Bristol Post, their daughter Pat McDougall said: “It’s quite unique. The funeral director said they get a double funeral maybe once a year.
“It’s nice now that they’re together.
“When dad died we had already arranged mum’s funeral but then had to change plans to keep them together, so we kind of felt like we were keeping her waiting – but obviously she knew dad was coming, didn’t she?”
McDougall continued: “They’re dancing together again and, ironically, they used to watch Strictly Come Dancing – and it just so happens that the final was this weekend – perhaps they were looking down on that.”
She said that the funeral also paid tribute to Bernard’s roots in London, with ‘The Lambath Walk’ and ‘Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner’ being played in his honor.
McDougall also said that ‘Smile’ would be played for her mom ‘because she always said ‘I don’t want you to cry’ but I’m sure we will.’
The funeral was set to conclude with ‘The Last Waltz’ as the couple loved dancing.
“At the end, they’re having ‘The Last Waltz’ and me and my siblings are going to stand around when they play it, so we can dance ‘The Last Waltz’ with them – they were both dancers and their life was dancing, really,” McDougall shared.
Frances was one of the last people to receive a 100th birthday card from the late Queen Elizabeth.
The pair received one of the first cards from King Charles III in honor of their 75th wedding anniversary.
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