The brother of a ‘Traveller King’ has been buried next to Britain’s biggest headstone after a funeral with a horse-drawn hearse and a Rolls-Royce cortège.
Michael Collins, 51, was carried in a platinum coffin before he was laid to rest next to his brother Willy’s huge 37-ton, £200,000 gravestone crafted from solid Carrara marble.
A grand funeral procession saw his coffin make its way to the cemetery pulled by six horses, adorned with blue cloth and feathers.
A plane overhead wrote in the sky as mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes.
Speaking ahead of the funeral, Michael’s heartbroken daughter, Paris, said: ‘Dad was a loving family man.
‘He lived and died for his wife and children, and he absolutely doted on his little grandbaby. He thought the world of him.
‘My mum is absolutely heartbroken. They’d been together for 27 years and they did everything together.
‘My dad is in heaven now with his brother, Willy, sister-in-law, Josie, and oldest daughter, Bonnie.’
The brother of a ‘Traveller King’ has been buried next to Britain’s biggest headstone (pictured) after a funeral with a horse-drawn hearse and a Rolls-Royce cortège
Michael Collins, 51, was carried in a platinum coffin before he was laid to rest next to two of his brothers
The funeral procession saw a Rolls Royce cortege, similar to that seen at Terry and Willy Collins’ funerals
His funeral comes just two months after his older brother, Terry, was also laid to rest at the Shiregreen cemetery in Sheffield after dying aged 52.
His other brother Willy Collins, known as the King of Sheffield, passed away aged 49 in 2020, after collapsing while on holiday with his family in Majorca, Spain.
Hundreds of mourners from the traveller community came to the King’s flamboyant burial, where his 22-carat gold coffin was pulled by a white horse-drawn carriage.
A bare-knuckle fighter, he trained at the famous Brendan Ingle’s gym in Wincobank, where Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham also trained.
On his death, stars of the boxing world including Tyson Fury and Ezekiel ‘Kell’ Brook paid tribute to the fighter.
In 2022, a huge 37-ton marble headstone was erected on the grave of the bare-knuckle boxer, adorned with Irish flags and featuring two life-sized statues of Big Willy’s six-foot-two frame.
Despite Sheffield City Council stating the monument had been built ‘without permission’, it remains standing two years on.
The horses in the procession had blue feather plumes in their manes, while some were also adorned with blue cloth
Mourners transfer the platinum coffin containing Michael’s body to a horse-drawn carriage
Michael’s brother Willy Collins (pictured) – more well-known as ‘Big Willy’, died aged 49 in July 2020 after he collapsed while on a family holiday in Majorca, Spain
His £200,000 37-ton marble headstone was the subject of controversy as the council said it violated the planning permission
Willy Collins’ coffin was made of 22-carat gold and his funeral was attended by hundreds of people
The gravestone, which was unveiled in March 2022, features Irish flags and two life-sized statues of Willy. It also includes depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes.
The headstone includes a solar-powered jukebox which mourners can connect to through Bluetooth to play songs, and is lit up with LED lights that change colour.
It is also under 24-hour CCTV surveillance, which the family can access on their phones and use to ‘speak’ with their fallen family members.
Just two years later, the family were mourning the second of the brothers, Terry Wilson.
Michael’s funeral took place on Monday, December 16, and he was the third brother to be laid to rest in the cemetery.
He is survived by his wife Girleen, their children Paris, Anthony, Montana, and Martin, and his grandson, Martin Francis.
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