The Debate About Showing Prince’s Urn In Paisley Park

When the doors of the late Prince’s Paisley Park HQ were opened to the public, Hot Press’ Sonja Fagan was among the first across the threshold – and the first to see the urn in which Prince’s remains are kept. There has since been furious debate as to whether it is right to have the star’s remains on view in this way...

There has been a predictably mixed reaction to the revelation that Prince's Urn is on display in the Atrium at Paisley Park, which is now open to visitors, albeit so far on a sporadic basis. Some fans responded with disgust to the Royal Urn, feeling it was disrespectful to the man and his memory – an understandable reaction, perhaps, considering the deep emotional loss still felt by many.

But I can only tell you how it felt to me.

While on the first public tour of Paisley Park, our group were shown through reception, and down a bright hallway into the Atrium. It’s a cheerful, colourful space. Directly beneath the apex of light is a miniature replica of Paisley Park, locked in a glass case. People didn't really take notice of it at first, as they feasted on the other surrounding memorabilia which graces the room.

The guide explained that Prince loved the Atrium. He saw it as a place where possibilities were endless: he didn't believe, she said, in ceilings or parameters. And then, suddenly and casually, as she pointed to the box on display, she said… “Here is Prince's Urn, his ashes are inside.” Everyone in the room let out a collective gasp. It was a dramatic moment. Then, they withdrew individually into silence, sadness and tears, heads bowed in thought and prayer. The mortal remains of Prince were before us; indeed we mortals were in the presence of immortality.

Later, having had time to reflect on it all, it made perfect sense that he should be present. Prince was reverently private while alive; however, in accordance with his religious beliefs, he acknowledged that in the afterlife his earthly remains would turn to dust. Personally, I felt it was an incredible honour to have the opportunity to say goodbye, and comforting to be close to him once again.

Whether or not one agrees, there will be extremes on either side. On a tour of Mozart's Geburtsplatz in Salzburg, visitors are treated to the sight of his manuscripts, quills, ink wells and harpsichord, all beautifully preserved. Mozart’s grave is in St. Marx Cemetery in Vienna. The exact location of his final resting place is unknown and has been the topic of scholastic debate for over 200 years.

On the flip side Jim Morrison's grave in Père Lachaise in Paris was a trashy, desecrated rubble for many years. Indeed, it got so bad that it is now guarded 24/7 by a gendarme to keep the hedonistic hordes out. Having been to all three, I feel that Prince is where he wants to be, looking at the stars for the everlasting now.