In early 2022, there was a brief news cycle about how Ed Sheeran was in the process of building a chapel on the grounds of his Framlingham, U.K. estate, which he very creatively calls, “Sheeranville.” In the application for approval, it was described as a “private place of retreat for contemplation and prayer.” The chapel wasn’t the part that made headlines, though. The part that caught everyone’s attention was his additional application to add a private burial chamber underneath it. In a recent interview with GQ, Ed was asked about the crypt and he gave some more information, including clarifying that rumors of it being a “crypt” were slightly exaggerated. He went with the ‘ol, “It’s not a crypt, silly, it’s a hole in the ground to bury me in someday!”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a crypt,” Sheeran, 32, told GQ in an interview published on Wednesday, October 4, clarifying that he actually constructed a chapel on his property to properly mourn the people he’s lost who have been cremated.
Sheeran — who also uses the sanctuary to host wedding ceremonies for his friends — noted that in addition to the chapel itself, he decided to craft his own final resting place so his children could come and remember him after his death.
“It’s a hole that’s dug in the ground with a bit of stone over it, so whenever the day comes and I pass away, I get to go in there,” he explained. “People think it’s really weird and really morbid, but I’ve had friends die without wills, and no one knows what to do.”
Sheeran has experienced extensive loss over the past several years. In 2021, his mentor, Michael Gudinski, died at age 68. The Grammy winner paid tribute to Gudinski at his memorial service in Australia at the time, singing “Visiting Hours,” an intensely emotional song he wrote in honor of his friend. The following year, in February 2021, Sheeran’s best friend, Jamal Edwards, died at age 31. Weeks later, Sheeran lost close pal and cricketer Shane Wane.
Though Sheeran has been candid about his grief through his music, he keeps most of his private light out of the spotlight.
Honestly, I get where he’s coming from in terms of planning all of this stuff out while he’s alive so his loved ones don’t have to worry about it after he’s passed. It’s a difficult subject that nobody wants to have to think about. I once worked in a law office that primarily did litigation on matters involving wills and estates, with surviving relatives fighting over such matters. It can get really nasty, especially when money is involved. The less ambiguity there is in those matters, the better.
Ed wanting to be buried on his own estate may sound a little weird, but oddly enough, I can also relate to this. After my friend’s husband died very suddenly in 2017, Mr. Rosie and I finally had “the talk” about whether we wanted to be buried vs. cremated, funeral services, etc. Mr. R. revealed that he did not want a wake (but we can hold some type of memorial or party for him “if we really must”) and that he feels very strongly about being buried completely naturally and, if possible, in the woods behind our house. After I got my “WTAF?” out of the way, he explained that he simply wants to naturally go back to the Earth where he came from. I can’t say I ever had “researching biodegradable burial options” on my life bingo card, but here we are. I got him to compromise on a cemetery that’s just a mile from our house, but he’s threatened to come back and haunt me if I don’t make a decent effort for the whole backyard thing.
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I AM a lawyer who deals exclusively with estate planning. It’s refreshing to hear a celeb actually talk about what a mess intestacy is (not to mention it’s expensive).
Everything about dying seems so expensive. It’s so hard to make decisions when grieving. I don’t really care what they do with my body. I won’t be using it at that point anyway. I want the cheapest and simplest option. But it won’t exactly be my problem.
This is so cool! We need more death-positivity stances. And it’s great that you discussed your plans in advance, Rosie. You’ll both know what to do when the time comes, and that will be a relief.
I’m with Ed and Mr. R. Most of my family have already bought their plots and want a typical Catholic funeral service. I want to be put in a burlap sack with a sapling and planted in my favorite park. Don’t know if that’s legal though. I’m in NY so maybe the sapling can be an apple tree or something that grows here and can feed people.
@Steph – That is basically exactly what he wants, too. They do have things where your remains can become a tree, but it involves cremation, which my husband doesn’t want to do.
My choice is a Glad lawn and leaf bag, left on the curb for trash day.
@eurydice that’s dark. But it made me laugh. Now I feel a way bc I don’t know if humor was your intention..
Yes, humor was my intention, but it’s also how I feel about death rituals, in general. Still, I can see how it can be reassuring to have all the plans settled in advance. My father had a military funeral – the funeral home called the nearest air force base and they sent over all the requisite people, officers, color guard, pall bearers, etc. And the Greek Church has a specific ritual, so there’s no need for additional eulogies and people popping up to say random things.
My mothers father died young and suddenly, so my parents laid everything out and made sure I (as eldest child) at least knew the basics of what would happen. It was much more involved when we were younger and underage of course, now that we’re all adults it’s much more simple. Catholic funeral, buried in Vermont in the same graveyard as most of the rest of us. Probably my parents will get the plot 2 down from my grandparents.
Interesting how Ed is going for something hopefully generational with the crypt, that’s not as common where I am in New England. Is it more so in the U.K. (old England lol)
Jessica Mitford published The American Way of Death in ’63, detailing the rackets that are funerals. Fascinating read and not too dated.
This does seem morbid, until someone close to you dies. But trying to make rational decisions while grieving is difficult. My mother had detailed estate planning and end of life care, both very important. And she always wanted to be cremated and have her ashes spread in a rose garden. But the last 6 months of her life she kept changing the locations. (Because of Parkinson’s and dementia). So now she waits in a beautiful blue urn, until we agree on and get permission for a rose garden and not the ocean (which is conveniently next to one sister). Because family argues over even that.
My BFF has my instructions. First choice is viking style longboat that someone shoots a flaming arrow at and the whole thing burns (with me on it obvs). Second was cremation as I won’t need this body and don’t want to take up space but I don’t think it’s great for the environment so I need to look into options where you get buried but allowed to break down then they can use that spot for someone else later on. It’s on my to-do list!
We absolutely need more conversations about this sort of thing. I know what my mother wants but when my (paternal) grandma died she left a will but no funeral instructions beyond cremation and burying her ashes in my grandfathers grave so we had to figure it out for ourselves which was tough under the circumstances. Fortunately for my maternal grandmother it’s much more straightforward and we have a ‘crypt’ (hole in the ground lined with concrete) in the local cemetery that my grandfather is already in – along with a bottle of local sparkling wine (they’re in Burgundy in France) that we are to take out and drink after we put her in there.