The 31st of August marked the day on which the Queen of Soul was laid to rest.
Aretha Franklin passed away on the 16th of August at the age of 76 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
In the week leading up to her funeral, the body of the Detroit native was made available for public viewing at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History.
The funeral itself took place at the Greater Grace Temple where stars such as Ariana Grande, Fantasia, and Faith Hill performed tributes to the late icon who was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
Aretha was eulogized by former US President, Bill Clinton, who described himself and his wife Hilary as “groupies”.
The “Respect” singer had performed at Clinton’s inauguration as President in 1993, with the statesman saying, “She lived with faith. Not without failure, but overcoming her failures. She lived with power. Not without weakness, but overcoming her weaknesses. She took the talent, and the family, and decided to be the composer of her own life song. And what a song it turned out to be.”
Stevie Wonder also paid tribute, stating that “Through the pain, she gave us the joy and said let’s make love great again,” before playing out the funeral by dedicating his song, I’ll Be Loving You Aways, to Aretha.
Across the pond, the Band of Welsh Guards at Buckingham Palace played a rendition of Respect whilst changing the guard.
