Aretha Franklins body has been removed from her Detroit home.
The 76-year-old soul legend lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Thursday, aged 76, and her remains have now been taken by hearse to the nearby Swanson Funeral Home.
Extra security has reportedly been brought in to protect the body while plans for her funeral are made with her loved ones, The Blast reports.
Meanwhile, the Natural Woman singers nephew Tim Franklin has praised his aunt for the way she always looked out for their family, especially after her siblings passed away.
He told People magazine: We had all lost our parents – she stepped in and filled the gap.
She was the last one of the siblings, and when my aunt Erma and my dad died within a couple months of each other, she stepped right in and put her feelings aside even though she was grieving a loss that was two months apart.
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She might have grieved in private, but we never saw it.
And he insisted the Respect singer kept her public persona away from her private life.
He said: The Queen of Soul? We didnt know her. She was able to keep that separate from her personal life, so we never knew the Queen of Soul. Rather, we knew that was an accomplishment that she had made.
Arethas family issued a statement on Thursday announcing one her death in one the darkest moments of their lives.
More: Showbiz
They said: Franklins official cause of death was due to advance pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type, which was confirmed by Franklins oncologist, Dr. Philip Phillips of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.
In one of the darkest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our heart. We have lost the matriarch and rock of our family.
MORE: Patti LaBelle ends Aretha Franklin feud after singers death to remember her sister in soul
MORE: Aretha Franklin fans gather to pay tribute at Hollywood Walk of Fame star
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