MANY famous public faces and private family friends attended the funeral in Kent of actress Diana Sinden, the wife of actor Sir Donald Sinden.

As an actress, her skill and beauty had won her Noel Coward's admiration. In addition she had countless friends.

Sir Donald, together with their surviving son, London producer Marc, led the mourners who filled St John's Church, Wittersham, near Tenterden, for the service conducted by the Rev Stella Halmshaw.

Acclaimed Shakespearian and Oscar winning actor Paul Scofield, gave the reading from The Tempest: "All our revels now are ended."

Martin Best sang a favourite song: "The Death of Queen Jane" and John Harrison's reading came from Cymbeline: "Golden girls."

Gillan Cadell's moving tribute touched on the shared highs and lows of their long friendship.

"Diana had a great gift for friendship - 56 years and I know it was that because she said so and she was always right about dates.

In that time we experienced great joys and terrible tragedies and she was always utterly loyal."

Both mothers had lost sons to cancer, Jeremy Sinden, who acted in Star Wars, Chariots of Fire and Brideshead Revisited, and Simon Cadell, best known as Mr Fairbrother in Hi-de-Hi.

Figures from the world of theatre, film and politics, as well as villagers, were among the mourners in the ancient church.

They included Lord Howe, Giles and Michelle Brandreth, Lady Archer, Nicola McAuliffe, Mr and Mrs Anthony Andrews, Christopher Cazenove, Frank Thornton and Henry McGee.

Delia Sinden, widow of Jeremy, said: "All the grandchildren were there, Harriet, Kezia, Hal and Bridie,

"Diana was such a stylish person so my London theatre friends pulled out all the stops to wear wonderful hats which she would have loved and the readings were superb you will never get it any better than that."