9 Funeral Ceremonies That Took a Turn for the Worse

While attending a funeral, one might assume the worst has already occurred with the passing of a loved one. However, certain funeral blunders demonstrate that situations can indeed deteriorate further. Whether it’s a parrot with an inappropriate vocabulary, a body that unexpectedly explodes, or caskets being mishandled and dropped, these ceremonies descended into chaos.

1. The Parrot with a Potty Mouth

Andrew Jackson. | Print Collector/GettyImages

Following the death of former president Andrew Jackson at 78 in 1845 due to natural causes, a large crowd gathered at his Tennessee residence to honor his memory. Among the attendees was Poll, a parrot Jackson had bought for his wife Rachel in 1827. After Rachel’s passing a year later, Jackson moved to the White House, leaving Poll behind in Nashville.

Possibly harboring resentment for being abandoned, Poll caused quite a scene during the funeral as guests paid their respects. A witness recounted, “Before the service began, as people were arriving, a mischievous parrot, a family pet, became agitated and started cursing so loudly and persistently that it disrupted the gathering and had to be removed from the premises.”

While there’s no documentation of Poll’s fate post-funeral, today, he acts as the guide for the children’s tour at Jackson’s Hermitage estate—though likely without the profanity.

2. A Mysterious Knock from Inside the Casket

Funerals often come with a sense of solemnity, but hearing a knock from inside the coffin is far from expected. In 2022, mourners in Peru were partway through a funeral procession when they noticed tapping sounds emanating from the casket. Upon opening it, they found Rosa Isabel Cespedes Callaca, the woman inside, reportedly struggling to breathe. The cemetery caretaker immediately contacted the police, later stating that he saw Callaca open her eyes and even sweat. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and placed on life support but passed away shortly after. Her family believes she was mistakenly declared dead following a car accident and had actually been in a coma. 

3. The Exploding Body of a King

William the Conqueror. | Print Collector/GettyImages

William the Conqueror, who reigned over England for over 20 years, earned his name through his military victories, most notably the Battle of Hastings, where he triumphed over Harold II of England to claim the throne. After his victory, he crushed numerous uprisings by burning villages, destroying crops, killing livestock, and even executing villagers. This period, known as the “Harrying of the North,” was so harsh that some historians suggest desperate villagers turned to

cannibalism to survive.

In 1087, while campaigning in France, William suffered a severe injury when his horse reared up, driving the saddle into his abdomen with such force that it ruptured his intestines. By this stage in his life, William had indulged in a kingly diet for years, and his considerable size exacerbated the injury. Six weeks later, when he died, those around him—nobles, knights, and servants alike—either fled or plundered the castle. They stripped the place of everything movable, including royal furnishings, leaving the king’s body almost bare on the floor, as recorded by the Benedictine monk Orderic Vitalis.

With his closest aides absent, the responsibility of arranging the king’s burial in France fell to a knight who personally financed William’s embalming and the transportation of his body 70 miles to Caen by boat. 

The lengthy journey took a toll on the king’s remains. Bacteria from his gut spread throughout his body, speeding up decay and effectively transforming his corpse into a gas-filled time bomb. Further delays ensued, including a fire that disrupted the funeral plans. When the service finally began, a man interrupted, claiming the burial site belonged to his family. The proceedings halted until he was paid.  

These delays allowed gas to accumulate inside William’s body. Compounding the issue, the stone sarcophagus crafted for him was too small, forcing his body to be crammed inside. This caused his bowels to rupture, releasing a noxious explosion of gas. Orderic Vitalis described the scene: “an intolerable stench assailed the nostrils of the bystanders.” The funeral was hastily concluded. 

Despite the lingering risk of gas, William’s tomb was disturbed three times by curious onlookers and grave robbers. In 1522, the first intrusion was a mere inspection of the body. Four decades later, a Calvinist mob ransacked the tomb for valuables and scattered his remains when they found none. In 1642, the recovered fragments were reburied under a new monument, but during the French Revolution, even these remnants were tossed into the River Orne. Today, only a single thigh bone remains in his grave.

4. A Brawl Erupts—With the Deceased

In 2007, mourners gathered at Harvest Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida, to pay their respects at a loved one’s funeral. The service seemed ordinary—until an uninvited man entered the church, approached the casket, and began striking and mistreating the body inside.

While such an act is deeply distressing in any context, what makes it even more unsettling is the uncertainty of whether the attacker knew the deceased. He was quickly arrested and later ordered by the court to undergo a psychological evaluation.

5. The Queen’s Unruly Horses

Sailors pulling the gun carriage bearing Queen Victoria’s coffin. | Print Collector/GettyImages

Following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, the world was reminded of the grandeur, ceremony, and tradition that accompany a royal funeral. However, even tradition can falter. When Queen Victoria passed away at 81 in 1901, she was honored with the full military funeral she had desired. This included a three-mile-long procession featuring her coffin, draped in white satin and placed on a military gun carriage drawn by white horses. 

Unfortunately, the horses were unaware of the solemnity of the occasion. During the procession, they became frightened, broke free from the gun carriage, and ran off, leaving the queen’s coffin stranded midway. Realizing the horses wouldn’t return, Louis Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s grandfather, proposed that the Royal Navy use ropes to pull the gun carriage the remaining distance. They complied, salvaging the funeral and establishing a new tradition. When Queen Elizabeth II died, 142 sailors pulled her coffin in the procession, echoing the practice from Queen Victoria’s funeral over 120 years earlier. Naval personnel also performed this duty for the funerals of King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, Winston Churchill, and others.

6. A Case of Mistaken Identity

Picture arriving at a loved one’s funeral, stepping up to the casket for a final farewell, and discovering that the person inside is a total stranger. This is precisely what occurred to two families in South Philadelphia in 2009 when a funeral home mixed up the bodies. “They insisted it was him, but I knew it wasn’t,” said the wife of Kenneth Roberts, one of the deceased. The funeral directors eventually admitted the error and resolved the issue over an hour later, but when the correct body arrived, it was face-down and partially falling out of the casket. To compound the confusion, one attendee suffered a seizure, and another had an asthma attack. The funeral was ultimately canceled, and a private gathering was arranged for a later date.

7. An Elephant's Assault on a Deceased Body

An elephant enjoying a dust bath in India. | Martin Harvey/The Image Bank/Getty Images

In 2022, the relatives of an Indian woman discovered the saying “an elephant never forgets” to be tragically accurate. Maya Murmu, aged 70, was fetching water in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district when an elephant, reportedly escaped from a nearby sanctuary, attacked her. Although she initially survived, she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. During her funeral, an elephant—thought to be the same one—charged at the pyre, trampled her body, and flung it aside.

As per the Economic Times of India, the destruction continued. The Times noted the elephant's roar incited others to attack the village, destroying the woman’s home and killing her goats. Several other houses were also damaged. Despite their gentle image, elephants in India—numbering around 30,000—are increasingly clashing with humans due to habitat loss, often raiding crops like bananas, sugarcane, and rice.

8. An Unexpected Descent

In 1967, Mary Folan passed away from cancer at the age of 56. Despite relocating to the U.S. in the 1920s, her final wish was to be laid to rest on her native island near Galway, Ireland. To avoid a sea journey, her family opted for a helicopter transport. However, during the lift-off from Shannon airport, the sling holding her coffin was improperly fastened. Just a few kilometers into the flight, the sling gave way, sending Mary’s coffin plummeting into a nearby field. 

Her remains were placed in a lighter coffin, and a test flight with a weighted box was conducted successfully. Despite the successful trial, the sling malfunctioned again during the second attempt, and the coffin plunged into the ocean. Although it initially floated, the coffin eventually disappeared from view. 

After an extensive search, a priest was called to bless the waters where the coffin was last spotted. Speculations arose that the coffin might have been empty, with some suggesting the incident was a botched attempt to smuggle weapons or drugs. These claims were never proven, leaving Mary Folan’s family to accept her burial at sea.

9. A Funeral Interrupted by a Car Chase

Funerals and car chases are an unlikely combination. | franckreporter/E+/Getty Images

In 2021, a suspect led San Diego police on a 45-minute pursuit, ending in a residential neighborhood in Chula Vista. After abandoning his vehicle, the man sprinted into the Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, where a funeral service was underway. As officers pursued him down the aisle toward the altar, mourners quickly exited through the front doors. The individual, wanted on a felony warrant, was apprehended without resistance at the altar, allowing the funeral to continue as scheduled.