DR. HELEN FRISBY
A History of Royal Funerals
Midday Wednesday 13 May
Wedmore Village Hall BS28 4EQ
Tickets: £10 or £25 to include lunch with a glass of wine
If you have any specific dietary requirements, please advise us when book your tickets. Note also that there is no disabled access to the lunch venue. You can find out about our lunches here.
Box office opens 14 April
This talk with Dr Helen Frisby, author of the Shire book Traditions of Death and Burial, explores royal funeral customs from Anglo-Saxon times to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Some royal funeral customs remain virtually unchanged down the centuries, while others have evolved along with changing ideas about royal power and general social mores. Meanwhile many monarchs have added their own personal touches to their funerals, and of course accidents happen too – so why do only some of these then become ‘traditions’? In answering this question we get to the heart of why funerals matter at all.
Helen has taught history at the University of the West of England, Bristol, and funeral directing at the University of Bath where she’s also a Visiting Research Fellow. Hon. Secretary of The Folklore Society, Helen has appeared on The History Channel and BBC radio. She continues to research and publish on topics relating to death, funerals and bereavement, past and present.
Helen will be signing and selling her book after the event.
