Funeral of Corin Redgrave held in London

Redgrave's many films included Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994

Stars including Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Trevor Nunn and Simon Callow have paid their last respects to actor Corin Redgrave at his funeral in London.

Sir Trevor told mourners his university friend should be remembered for "so many things" including his "political work, idealism and great moralism".

Members of his acting family, including sisters Vanessa and Lynn, were also at the Covent Garden service.

Redgrave died at his home on Tuesday, at the age of 70.

Sir Trevor told mourners Redgrave should also be remembered for his acting talent.

He said that in their final collaboration - in a play at the National Theatre - "something extraordinary" had happened.

Redgrave had become a "great" and not just a "good" actor, Sir Trevor said.

Chekhov collection

Vanessa Redgrave read from Shakespeare's Antony And Cleopatra while sister Lynn recalled that her brother had taught her how to climb trees without telling her how to get back down again.

His daughter Jemma - from his first marriage to Deirdre Hamilton-Hill - read a passage from Chekhov's Uncle Vanya.

The actress said her father had given her the writer's complete works when she would have preferred a Clash album, but that she had loved the books of Chekhov for the rest of her life.

There were also readings from sons Luke, from the same marriage, and Harvey and Arden, from his marriage to widow Kika Markham.

Other relatives at the funeral included his film star niece Joely Richardson as well as Liam Neeson, the widower of her sister Natasha Richardson, who died after a skiing accident last March.

They were joined at the service by actors including Jenny Seagrove and Mark Rylance as well as theatre producer Bill Kenwright and film-maker Tariq Ali.

Screen breakthrough

The service included Fugue For Tinhorns from Guys and Dolls - which Redgrave had always wanted to be played at his funeral - and a recording of him singing Goodbye from his 1969 film Oh! What A Lovely War.

Redgrave was perhaps best known to movie audiences for his role as Hamish in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

His first stage appearance came in 1961 as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Court.

His first major screen role, meanwhile, came in 1966 when he appeared in Oscar-winning historical drama A Man for All Seasons.

In 1998, he won a Laurence Olivier award for his work in Tennessee Williams' Not About Nightingales.

He was also known for his political activism and was part of a 2004 bid to impeach Tony Blair over the invasion of Iraq.