In the United States, the average funeral is relatively predictable. It typically involves wearing black, a coffin or cremated ashes, and some form of service where the deceased is eulogized. The coffin is buried in a cemetery, and ashes are often sprinkled in a favorite place of the departed or kept in a decorative urn. However, some funerals and places of burial are very different from the norm.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana was one of the most photographed women of all time. She was the ex-wife of Prince Charles, the future King of England, and mother to Princes William and Harry. On August 31, 1997, she was killed in a car accident in Paris. Her funeral was held at Westminster Abbey a week later and was a spectacle of pomp and circumstance. It was attended by many heads of state and other important people. Her burial was later in the day on the grounds of Althorp Park, her family’s estate, and only a handful of close family members were present. Her grave is on a small island on the property in the middle of a lake.
Hunter S. Thompson
Journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 20, 2005, at his home near Aspen, Colorado. Johnny Depp, a good friend of Thompson’s, organized the funeral. His ashes were fired from a cannon situated on top of a 153-foot tower. Fireworks accompanied the cannon blast, and the songs “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Spirit in the Sky” played in the background. Some of the guests who attended the funeral were:
- Jack Nicholson
- Bill Murray
- Sean Penn
- Lyle Lovett
- Charlie Rose
- John Kerry
- George McGovern
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan lived from 1162-1227 and was one of the most powerful, brutal and feared leaders in history. He was founder and ruler of the Mongol Empire. How he actually died is not fully known, but many historians believe Khan was killed in battle. For some time before his death, he expressed the desire to be buried in an unmarked grave. This was a custom of his tribe. Many people believe Khan is buried in Mongolia near where he was born. There are a number of reports his funeral escort killed anyone they came across while transporting his body to the gravesite in order to ensure secrecy of the location. There have also been stories that members of his funeral escort were put to death for the same reason.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur was at the height of his career when he was gunned down in Las Vegas in September of 1996. One of the most prominent rappers in the world at the time of his death, Shakur is still one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. He was cremated after he died, and some of his ashes were reportedly mixed with marijuana and smoked by members of his rap group Outlawz.
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin was a Russian politician and one of the most famous revolutionaries, and controversial figures, in modern history. He lived from 1870 – 1924. Under his leadership, the Russian Empire was dissolved and became the Soviet Union. When he died, his body was embalmed and placed on public display in a mausoleum in Moscow’s Red Square. It remains in that location to this day.
Bruce Lee
Martial arts instructor and movie star Bruce Lee passed away in 1973. He was 32 at the time of his death. Game of Death, his final movie, was in the process of being filmed, and the director decided to move forward with the project. He ended up using film from Lee’s actual funeral in the movie, including close-ups of his body in the casket, which was a little disturbing.
Not everyone has a conventional funeral service and is buried at a cemetery in their home town. These six examples are certainly evidence of that.