A FLEET of Rolls-Royces lead the funeral procession for a brother of the Gypsy King as he was buried in a platinum coffin.
Michael Collins, 51, was carried through the streets of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, before being laid to rest next to his brother Willy.
SWNSA number of horses adorned with feathers featured in the funeral[/caption]
SWNSThey were followed by a procession Rolls-Royces[/caption]
SWNSMichael was carried in a platinum coffin to his final resting place[/caption]
SWNSHe was buried next to the headstone of his brother, the Gypsy King[/caption]
The grand procession included a number of horses, including six adorned with blue cloth and feathers which carried Michael’s body in a carriage to his final resting place.
A cortège of Rolls-Royces followed suit, alongside a plane which flew overhead and wrote in the sky as mourners gathered to say their final goodbyes.
Ahead of the funeral, Michael’s heartbroken daughter, Paris, paid tribute, calling her dad a “loving family man.”
She said how “heartbroken” her mum was, following Michael’s 27 years with her as a couple during which “they did everything together.”
“He lived and died for his wife and children, and he absolutely doted on his little grandbaby; he thought the world of him,” Paris added.
His funeral comes just two months after his older brother, Terry, was also laid to rest at the Shiregreen cemetery in Sheffield, aged 52.
Willy Collins, known as the “Traveller King” and “King of Sheffield“, passed away aged 49 in 2020, after he collapsed while on a family holiday in Majorca, Spain.
The King’s flamboyant burial attracted hundreds of mourners from the traveller community to see his 22-carat gold coffin pulled by a white horse-drawn carriage.
A bare-knuckle fighter, Michael trained at Brendan Ingle’s notorious gym in Wincobank, Sheffield, where Herol “Bomber” Graham also trained.
Following his death, boxing stars Tyson Fury and Ezekiel “Kell” Brook were among many to pay tribute to the fighter.
Willy’s has a 37-tonne headstone which was erected on the grave of the bare-knuckle boxer in 2022 and features two life-sized statues of Big Willy’s six-foot-two frame as well as many Irish flags.
The headstone, which includes depictions of Jesus Christ and biblical scenes, remains standing two years later, despite Sheffield City Council stating the monument had been built “without permission”.
It also has a solar-powered jukebox which mourners can connect to through Bluetooth to play songs, and is lit up with LED lights that change colour.
The large site has 24-hour CCTV surveillance which the family can access remotely in order to “speak” with fallen family members.
Michael’s funeral took place on Monday 16 December, making him 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.
SWNSMichael’s coffin being unloaded from the horse-drawn carriage[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
