In “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” the character who dies is Gareth.
Gareth is one of Charles’s close friends and the partner of Matthew. During Hamish and Carrie’s wedding reception, Gareth suffers a fatal heart attack while Hamish is giving a speech. His sudden death changes the film’s tone from romantic comedy to genuine mourning.
At Gareth’s funeral, Matthew delivers the emotional farewell by reciting W. H. Auden’s poem “Funeral Blues.” The scene reveals the depth of their relationship and challenges the group’s earlier pride in remaining single. Charles and Tom recognize that Gareth and Matthew had shared a committed, marriage-like partnership even without being legally married.
A common mix-up is confusing Gareth with Matthew, who is his partner, or with Charles, the central character. Gareth’s death also explains the title’s funeral: the film contains four weddings and one funeral.