Hundreds gather to bid farewell to Stephen Hawking

Beloved physicist Stephen Hawking was honored at a private funeral service on Saturday.

Hundreds of people gathered outside Great St. Mary's Church in Cambridge, U.K. for the event, which was attended by about 500 of the scientist's family, friends, students, and collaborators. Attendees included Elon Musk, Chuck Lorre, Brian May, Lily Cole, and others.

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Inside, according to NBC News, Eddie Redmayne (who played Hawking in the 2014 film The Theory of Everything) read from Ecclesiastes. Two people delivered eulogies.

The service also included a performance of "Beyond the Night Sky," a piece of music composed specifically for Hawking's 75th birthday last year. It was performed by the Choir of Gonville & Caius.

"Our father lived and worked in Cambridge for over 50 years. He was an integral and highly recognisable part of the university and the city," Hawking's children said in a statement earlier this month. "For this reason, we have decided to hold his funeral in the city that he loved so much and which loved him."

"Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life," they added.

Hawking died on March 14 at the age of 76.