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.
[From Us Weekly]
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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