Succession: The funeral fit for a billionaire

Episode nine in season four of HBO’s hit show Succession features the funeral of billionaire media mogul Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox. With the Roy family being one of the richest families in the world in this fictional universe this means that no expense is spared.

The funeral takes place at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan New York, the same church where the funerals of Jackie Kennedy and Phillip Seymour Hoffman took place.

The body of Logan Roy is brought to the church in a Chrysler hearse with a police escort. His casket is made of what funeral planner William Villanova, who advised the showrunners on how to craft the episode, calls high-quality premium mahogany. The casket is then brought into the church by a professional casket team from Frank E Campbell Funeral Home.

Following the arrival of the casket, tributes are paid to the late Logan by his brother Ewan, played by James Cromwell. His son Kendall, Jeremy Strong, is up next after his brother Roman, Kieran Caulkin, breaks down during his speech. Lastly, Logan’s daughter Shiv, played by Sarah Snook, steps up to give a tribute. After this Logan is taken out of the church and back into the hearse to be driven to his burial site.

When we reach the burial site we find out that Logan is set to be buried in a marble mausoleum. Logan’s eldest son Connor, Alan Ruck, reveals he bought it for £5m from a “failed dot com pet supply guy”.

The average cost of a funeral in the UK was around £9,200 in 2022 according to Sun Life but the cost of a funeral can go well past that if desired. An expensive coffin can cost up to £10,000 pounds depending on the materials chosen. The more expensive ones will often be made of solid wood or metal.

The cost of a funeral can also be increased depending on the type of service chosen and the type of send off. Burials are more expensive and the professional fees and send-off costs like catering and venue hire can increase the costs involved.

Succession reveals a different side to funerals and shows just how luxurious a send off can be. Villanova told the Succession Podcast that the funeral would cost “every bit of six figures, well over $100k (£80k)”.

With a higher budget it often allows for a wider range of options for the service, however are opulent funerals more challenging to arrange for a funeral director?

One funeral that garnered much attention in recent history was when the funeral firm Neville Funerals was asked to assist with the preparations for national hero Sir Captain Tom Moore in 2021.

Vicky Trumper, director, explains: “Our aim is to make it look effortless, calm and supremely professional – even under the glare of the world’s media. Of course, the planning and preparation behind the scenes is meticulous in every detail. In the case of this funeral there was the highest level of confidentiality involved. So, only a handful of staff within the business were involved in liaising with representatives from the family and the other agencies, including the Captain Sir Tom Moore Foundation, the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Defence, local police force, crematorium, and RAF flypast team.

“Our most important focus was on Captain Sir Tom’s family — they still wanted to feel that it was a personal and close family occasion, yet the nation wanted to share an outpouring of grief. Establishing that balance is our most important task. However multi-layered or complex the funeral ceremony is, these are operational logistics that must be professionally delivered – our firm focus always must be the family and their loss.”

This is a sentiment that William Purves funeral director, Andrew Purves, agrees with: “A larger budget may allow for increased personalisation and innovation, such as enhanced catering, live music during the ceremony and exquisite flower decorations. However, it is important not to make assumptions about the funeral service based on the person’s wealth – in fact, in our experience, such individuals may prefer a more understated funeral.

“What is important is listening to the family’s wishes to provide a tailored service that allows them to say goodbye and celebrate the life of their loved one.”