{blackbabes} Whitney death pic published

A chilling photo of Whitney Houston Whitney Houston lying in her coffin has been published by a U.S. tabloid.

National Enquirer editors obtained grainy images of the late superstar taken at the Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, New Jersey, where a private wake for close friends and family was held on Friday.

The pictures show Houston wearing a purple dress with colour co-ordinated eye shadow and lip gloss, and jewellery worth a reported $500,000.

A source tells the publication, "Whitney looked lovely... like a queen."

The platinum coffin also had the singer's nickname, "Nippy", embroidered in the silk lining between two treble clef symbols in recognition of her longrunning music career.

Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her Los Angeles hotel suite on February 11. She was remembered by celebrity pals including Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, filmmaker Tyler Perry and her The Bodyguard co-star Kevin Costner during an emotional four-hour memorial service on Saturday and was laid to rest beside her father's grave at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield on Sunday.