Memorial service bids Stephen Hawking a final farewell

Scientist's ashes interred alongside Darwin and Newton

World famous British physicist Stephen Hawking was laid to rest in London’s Westminster Abbey on Friday with his ashes interred next to the grave of Sir Isaac Newton following a memorial service.

It is the first time in 80 years that a scientist has been afforded this honor.

Hawking’s final resting place is also near Charles Darwin. Newton was buried in the abbey in 1727 and Darwin was buried close by in 1882.

Around 1,000 members of the public, selected by ballot, and guests from the worlds of science, entertainment and politics joined Hawking’s family to celebrate the life of the scientist, who died in March aged 76 after a long battle with motor neurone disease.

Tributes and readings were given by the physicist’s collaborator and Nobel laureate Professor Kip Thorne, Astronomer Royal Lord Rees of Ludlow, actor Benedict Cumberbatch, astronaut Tim Peake and technologist Tom Nabarro.

Thorne said: “He absolutely refused to let his disability get in the way of doing great science or having great fun,” while Nabarro said Hawking “showed when time is precious we must make space for what makes us real”.

Hawking’s daughter Lucy Hawking also addressed the service.

A message from Hawking was beamed into space toward the nearest black hole as his ashes are interred following the service of thanksgiving.

The late scientist's words were set to an original piece of music, composed by Vangelis, offering a message of peace and hope.

Hawking gained a worldwide following for his work on theoretical physics, dedicating his life in probing the origins of the universe, the mysteries of black holes and the nature of time itself.

His book on cosmology, A Brief History of Time, written for non-specialist readers, remains one of the most famous and highly regarded science books of modern times, and his life story was made into an Academy Award-winning film, The Theory of Everything.