Professor Stephen Hawking's ashes interred in Westminster Abbey

  • 15 June 2018
  • 3 minutes

The ashes of the late Professor Stephen Hawking, Fellow of Gonville & Caius College for over 50 years, were interred in Westminster Abbey today following a public memorial service which celebrated his remarkable life. Professor Hawking’s ashes now rest between fellow famed Cambridge scientists Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin.

As his ashes were being interred, Professor Hawking's voice, set to an original piece of music composed by Vangelis, was beamed into space, towards the nearest black hole. The physicist's daughter, Lucy Hawking, described the composition as: "a beautiful and symbolic gesture that creates a link between our father's presence on this planet, his wish to go into space and his explorations of the universe in his mind." She added: "It is a message of peace and hope, about unity and the need for us to live together in harmony on this planet."

The Service of Thanksgiving featured readings and tributes from Professor Hawking's friends and family including Lucy Hawking, Benedict Cumberbatch, who played the physicist in a BBC drama, British astronaut Tim Peake, his collaborator Nobel Prize winner Kip Thorne, and Dean of Caius The Revd Dr Cally Hammond, who officiated at his funeral service in March.

Guests invited by the Hawking family were joined by 1,000 members of the public from over 100 countries, selected by a public ballot. Several members of Gonville & Caius were in attendance at the service including Master Professor Sir Alan Fersht, Senior Bursar David Secher, and Head Porter Russell Holmes, who walked ahead of the cortege at the scientist's funeral held in Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge. 

Gonville & Caius has revealed plans to create a permanent memorial to honour Professor Hawking’s contribution to the College during his 52 years as a Fellow. The memorial will be created by Lida L. C. Kindersley from the Cardozo Kindersley Workshop in Cambridge, from designs prepared by Master Professor Sir Alan Fersht, in collaboration with the College Council, and will be located outside of the late scientist's office in Caius Court. The design, to be engraved in flagstone, will reference his world-renowned scientific work. Further details of the memorial and its unveiling will be announced in due course.

The memorial is the latest tribute the College has paid to Professor Hawking. In March, it was announced that the College has launched the Stephen Hawking Lectureship. The fund will endow a Fellowship in Professor Hawking's name in perpetuity. Caius hopes to appoint the first Stephen Hawking Fellow in October 2019.

  • More than 5,500 people from across the globe have left messages of condolence for Professor Hawking in the paper and online condolence books. The physical book of condolence is now closed, however, messages can still be left online.
  • Watch the video of the Gonville & Caius Choir performing ‘Beyond the Night Sky’, a specially-commissioned space-themed piece of music composed by Caian Cheryl Frances-Hoad, to mark Professor Hawking’s 75th birthday.  

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