Prince’s final resting place will be kept private.
The ‘Purple Rain’ hitmaker – who died on Thursday morning (21.04.16) at his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota – was remembered in a private memorial service on Saturday (23.04.16) with a "musical celebration" confirmed for a later date.
His publicist Yvette Noel-Schure said: "A few hours ago, Prince was celebrated by a small group of his most beloved family, friends and his musicians, in a private, beautiful ceremony to say a loving goodbye. Prince’s remains have been cremated and their final storage will remain private.
"We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time. The cause of death remains unknown and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy. An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration."
One guest who attended the memorial service – alongside the likes of Prince’s former fiancé Sheila E., half-brother Maurice Phillips and bassist Larry Graham – says his closest friends and family did not make it a sad occasion but instead celebrated the life of the late singer.
A source said: "It was actually a party. People danced and ate."
At the memorial service, guests stayed inside for four hours following the cremation service and left with a casket containing Prince’s ashes.
Of his sister Tyka, an insider added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Tyka was adamant she didn’t wanted to leave him. Although in the past they often endured a fraught relationship in recent years and right now she has been like a rock throughout these dark days. As his only full blood relative alive Prince always looked out for Tyka and now she is doing all she can for him."
Prince’s final resting place kept private
