Thursday 24 March 2011

Let the mourners come: Elizabeth Taylor's funeral gets underway as family arrive to Forest Lawn for private service.

Mourners have started to arrive at Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries for the private funeral of Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor.
A fleet of limousines carrying the 79-year-old actress's close family pulled into the Los Angeles venue at around 2pm local time.
Forest Lawn, in Glendale, California, is the same place where Taylor's late close friend, Michael Jackson, is buried.

Sombre: Close family of Elizabeth Taylor arrive at Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks and Mortuaries this afternoon in California for the Hollywood icon's private funeral service

Small gathering: Only close family are attending the event, with a public memorial service being planned for a later date

Firm friends: Dame Elizabeth Taylor will be laid to rest in the same cemetery as her close friend Michael Jackson, who died two years ago

Her speedy burial is following the rules of Judaism - which she converted to for her marriage to Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton.
Today's service is being attended by strictly family only including her four children and ten grandchildren.
It is believed there will be a public memorial service held at a later date to commemorate her life.

There was speculation that she will be buried next to her parents - and close to Marilyn Monroe - at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in the city.
A photo has emerged of the family crypt, with a spare space next to where her parents Francis and Sara are laid to rest.
It was also suggested that Taylor, who died on Wednesday of heart failure aged 79, would be buried in Wales in a grave belonging to the family of her late husband Richard Burton - or even eventually with the body of Burton himself.

Time to say goodbye: Taylor died on Wednesday of heart failure

Members of his family today said they were hoping to honour the agreement the couple had to be buried together at a cemetery in Pontrhydyfen, near Port Talbot, a pledge made when they were married.
Burton, whom she married twice, died 26 years ago but was buried near the home in Switzerland that he shared with his last wife, Sally, for tax reasons.