Sir James Mitchell to be buried in his homeland on Saturday

SOURCE: CMC:  Former prime minister Sir James Mitchell will be buried in his hometown of Bequia on Saturday following a church service in the capital, Kingstown, it has been officially announced.

The body of the island’s second prime minister, who died on November 23 at the age of 90, will lie in State at the House of Assembly on Friday, December 17 and will be viewed by several dignitaries including Governor General Dame Susan Dougan and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

The family has requested that no photographs or videos are to be taken of the body during the official viewing period. One minute of silence will be observed nationwide at 11 a.m. (local time) on Friday.

There will be a ceremonial stop at the headquarters of the New Democratic Party (NDP), which Sir James had founded. The authorities said that viewing will be for the executive members of the party and not the general public and that the casket will be closed whilst at the NDP headquarters.

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 18, at the Kingstown Methodist Church, according to Anglican rites with limited public seating available on a first come first serve basis.

The authorities said that strict coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols will be enforced in all instances and following the Funeral Service, the body will be taken to Bequia via a private charter.

“The purpose of having part of the service in Kingstown and part in Bequia is to facilitate the attendance of the public of our multi-island state. The family wishes to encourage persons from the mainland to attend only the service in Kingstown and persons from the Northern and Southern Grenadines to attend the service in Bequia,” according to a statement issued here.

It said that the interment will be at the family cemetery at Mt Pleasant, Bequia at approximately 5 p.m. (local time).

Sir James’ death has brought to an end an era in the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines, since he had been the last surviving parliamentarian of those who served when the island gained political independence from Britain on October 27, 1979.

Sir James, who was popularly known as Son Mitchell, died five days after being discharged from the Intensive Care Unit of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, where he had been taken after falling ill at his home in Bequia on October 30.

He was initially diagnosed, in Bequia, as having a gallstone, but was brought to the capital, Kingstown, where doctors said he had an infection. (CMC)