Michael Jackson to Have Private Burial

Family Inters King of Pop in Gold Casket

Michael Jackson will be buried in a gold casket today in a private ceremony attended by his close friends and family.

The pop legend's family will inter him at the Holly Terrace in Great Mausoleum at the Forest Lawn cemetery, in Los Angeles, at 7pm. The exclusive cemetery has been the burial place for a number of celebrities over the decades, including Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.

The ceremony comes more than 2 months after Jackson died at his home in LA as a result of acute intoxication by anesthetic propofol. Jackson's burial had originally been planned for the 29th of August to mark his 51st birthday, but the date was revised in order to give his family further time to plan the ceremony.

It is speculated that the Jackson family have purchased 12 burial spaces surrounding his grave. The family plan to secure his coffin with high-tech security cameras and an alarm to prevent trespassing once the singer has been buried.

His children Prince Michael, Paris, and Blanket have written letters they will place inside his coffin, and Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Berry Gordy will attend the ceremony. The burial will be completely private, in order to give Jackson's friends and family a chance to pay their last respects. No cameras will be allowed.

Brothers Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Jackie are currently filming a reality TV series set to go live after the funeral. They are also planning a tribute to their brother. Marlon said: "I think it's also likely at some point we will all get together to do a tribute song for Michael."