William Purves removes logo from Queen’s hearse after backlash

William Purves, the funeral directors who helped organise the late Queen’s funeral procession from Balmoral to Edinburgh, has responded to backlash after social media users criticised the group for leaving its signage on the Queen’s hearse. 

The funeral directors removed the logo on the “first possible occasion” after it became “increasingly aware of the attention our company was receiving which should, rightly, be directed to Her Majesty”.

The funeral directors said it “never sought to gain any PR from our involvement with the Palace”, and rather the logo was part of the standard livery on all of its funeral vehicles.

Tim Purves, chairman of William Purves, said: “William Purves is proud to be part of the dedicated team who have cared for our late Queen with dignity since her sad passing.

“Rehearsals for the procession from Balmoral to Edinburgh have taken place regularly over many years, with every detail considered. For William Purves, we were required to change the colour of our signature silver Mercedes hearse to black in line with Royal protocol. Our logo, which is part of the standard livery on all our funeral vehicles, remained in place.”

He added: “On Sunday 11 September during the procession, we became increasingly aware of the attention our company was receiving which should, rightly, be directed to Her Majesty and in response, we removed the logo on the first possible occasion.

“We have never sought to gain any PR from our involvement with the Palace. For us it has been a true privilege to have cared for our Queen and her family. We will continue to do this until Tuesday evening. I would like to thank you for your support as we navigate the protocols and sensitivities during this unprecedented time.”