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Photo Gallery: Michael Jackson
Photo: Pa Photos

The body of Michael Jackson has just left the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles following a private family service which began at 8am (PST) this morning (July 7).

The funeral procession is making its way to the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, where a massive public memorial is being held.

The memorial is to be attended by 17,500 people who secured tickets via an online lottery over the weekend.

News pictures of the family service showed Jackson's mother Katherine walking to her car accompanied by his daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11. His seven-year-old son 'Blanket' was also seen emerging from the chapel.

The memorial was due to start at 10am (PST), but is thought to be running around 30 minutes behind time.

Click to see a gallery of images from the memorial here.

Watch live video coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial online here:

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--By our New York staff.
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