jade goodyJade Goody’s family and friends were joined by hundreds of wellwishers for the reality TV star’s funeral yesterday.

Jade was laid out in a white oak coffin, wearing the wedding dress she wore when she married husband Jack Tweed just over a month ago. Included in her coffin was a letter from Jack and pictures of her sons, five year old Bobby and four year old Freddie. The coffin was carried in a vintage Rolls Royce, heading up a multi-car funeral procession.

The cars started out at 8:30am yesterday morning from the estate in Bermondsey where Jade grew up and travelled a 27 mile route through East London to Buckhurst Hill, Essex, via her last home in nearby Upshire. Four cars carried just floral arrangements sent by wellwishers, including a bouquet from the Beckham family. The cars were decorated by wreaths spelling out “daughter”, “grandaughter”, “legend”, “Goody” and “Jade of Bermondsey” as well as her best-known sayings such as “East Angula”.

The procession halted temporarily at the Blue Market - where Jade used to shop and her granddad John Caddock had a stall - for funeral director Barry Albin to release a dove. Jade had requested the release and Albin spoke for her saying: “This is for the people of Bermondsey. I knew you would come to say goodbye. So, goodbye.”

In Buckhurst Hill, only invited mourners were allowed into St John the Baptist Church for the service and to the following wake. The ceremony, which included pop songs, hymns and gospel music, was broadcast to fans outside the church on screens erected for the occasion.

After her cancer was diagnosed as terminal in February, Jade helped plan the service and the 12 page booklet that was handed to all invited guests, detailing the order of the service and decorated with photographs and messages from the star and her sons, who are in Australia with their dad Jeff Brazier after the family decided the funeral would be too upsetting for them. The boys had requested that Jade asks Good to “make the clouds go away on holiday” so they could see the stars, after Jade and Jeff had told them she would be like a star watching over them.

Jack Tweed also read out a poem he had written for his wife called ‘If Only’, which included the lines: “If only I could lie again in the warmth of your embrace, To feel your tender kisses and breath upon my face.

“I have asked God to give me strength to face the days alone, to help me heal my broken heart and mend my shattered soul.

“My life will never be the same without you by my side. Grief almost too much to bear, pain difficult to hide.

“But when we look into the sky for the brightest star above, Bob, me and Fred will send you all our love.”

After the service, Jade’s publicist Max Clifford said that Jade would have been happy with the funeral, after requesting “no booze” and lots of flowers for her send-off: “It is very much the way she wanted it.

“She will have a big smile on her face when she sees what has been going on today.

“When we left the house it was cloudy and overcast. As we moved forwards the sun started to come through and that is what in many ways Jade’s life was like.”