The Vivienne: Stars join family and friends for funeral of drag queen James Lee Williams
2025-01-27
Category: entertainment

Family, friends and celebrities have gathered to say farewell to James Lee Williams, better know as RuPaul's Drag Race UK star The Vivienne.The funeral is taking place in north Wales, three weeks after the performer was found dead aged 32 at their home in Cheshire. Famous names among the mourners include singers Jade Thirlwall and H from Steps, drag queens Cheryl Hole and Baga Chipz, and actresses Claire Sweeney and Jennifer Ellison.The coffin arrived in a horse-drawn carriage pulled by black horses with green plumes. Flowers spelling "Vivienne", "James" and "Son" were in the hearse, and the crown and sceptre awarded to Drag Race winners were carried ahead of the coffin.
The Vivienne starred in musical theatre and TV productions, and won the first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK in 2019.The news of their passing sparked an outpouring of grief from the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.Shortly after their death was announced, Liverpool-based organisation Sahir House received an influx of donations in memory of The Vivienne, who was a long-standing supporter of the charity and posted about it shortly before their death.
Tributes were paid by high-profile names including actor and singer Arianna Grande, Drag Race judge Michelle Visage and host and creator of the show RuPaul.Hundreds also attended a public vigil in Liverpool, where friends and family paid tribute through music and speeches.Public buildings in the city were lit up green in honour of The Vivienne's role as The Wicked Witch of the West in the UK and Ireland tour of Wizard of Oz.A book of condolences was opened at The Museum of Liverpool for members of the public and has since been handed to the family.The Vivienne became associated with Liverpool as the place where the character was created and where James Lee Williams lived during their formative years.
Monday's funeral service is taking place at St Margaret's Church, in Bodelwyddan, north Wales, near where Williams grew up and went to school.They moved to Liverpool as a teenager and began performing in local bars and clubs as The Vivienne - named after their love of Vivienne Westwood clothing - before moving to Gran Canaria as a performer at Sparkles Show Bar.In 2019 they won the first series of Drag Race UK and became known for their impersonation and character acting, most famously for their impersonation of Donald Trump.The Vivienne later became the first competitor from the UK series to appear in the American version of the show, competing in series 7 of Drag Race All Stars.Away from RuPaul's hit show, Williams also appeared on mainstream television shows including Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, had a guest appearance on Emmerdale and most recently competed on a Christmas special of Blankety Blank.Police say there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.A statement from their manager, Simon Jones, asked for privacy for the star's family and said no further details would be released at this time.