George Michael has been laid to rest next to his mother after a private funeral in Highgate Cemetery.

The singer was devastated by his mother Lesley's death in 1997 and plans to bury him close to her had emerged in the weeks before his funeral.

His grave is currently a makeshift tomb, in the West Cemetery, hidden from full public view until the grave settles. 

The Mirror reports that the mother and son are also close to the graves of painter Lucien Freud and Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in the North London burial ground. 

Visitors to Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx is buried, can pay £12 for a guided tour, but George's grave will not be included on the route. 

His site is to be surrounded by dense trees and behind a brick wall, making it harder for devoted fans to pay final respects to him. 

But the Wham! star's family has not wanted his grave to become a tourist attraction, akin to Elvis' Graceland.  

George's funeral was held on Wednesday, March 29, with family and close friends keeping the event secret.  

His partner Fadi Fawaz, who found the singer's body on Christmas Day, was seen racing to the funeral after finding out about it at the last minute, but was told he could not attend.

Meanwhile Kenny Goss, George's former lover, was welcomed with open arms.  

A family statement after the funeral read: 'We can confirm that the funeral of the singer George Michael took place today.

'George Michael’s family would like to thank his fans across the world for their many messages of love and support.' 

Andrew Ridgeley, Helen 'Pepsi' DeMacque-Crockett and Shirlie Kemp were among the mourners who attended a small service and the wake. 

Earlier this month a coroner said that George had died of heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver.

Oxfordshire’s senior coroner, Darren Salter, said there would not be an inquest as a final post-mortem examination report showed that he died of natural causes.

The examination revealed that he suffered from dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver, which can be linked to drug and alcohol abuse.