Alexander McQueen's family makes agonising decision to hold his beloved mother's funeral the day after his suicide

The shocked family of Alexander McQueen have held his mother's funeral just a day after the fashion designer killed himself.

McQueen's father Ronald and his brother and sisters spent the night comforting each other after the 40-year-old was found hanged at his £2million Mayfair apartment.

His family gathered at his parents' home in Hornchurch, Essex this morning before leaving for a crematorium nearby.

Anguish: Jo Wood, left, was left in tears on live TV yesterday. Naomi Campbell (R) looked downcast on her way to McQueen's boutique in New York

They had spent the night considering whether to postpone Joyce McQueen's funeral to bury mother and son together.

McQueen's brother Michael, 49, said the family is in a state of shock.

'It is just so raw,' he told the London Evening Standard. 'We are grieving. Everyone is too upset to say anything.

Tribute: Model Olivia Inge lays a floral tribute outside the home of British Fashion designer Alexander McQueen in London

'But mum’s funeral is going ahead. It has all been arranged.'

McQueen, who controversial creative genius who clothed the world's biggest stars, committed suicide on the eve of his beloved mother's funeral.

So distraught was the designer that he had locked himself away, refusing to get out of bed since her death ten days ago.

Police are treating McQueen's death as non-suspicious. His body was found by his cleaner when she arrived at the flat yesterday morning and she dialled 999.

A police spokesman said a post-mortem examination on McQueen will be carried out on Monday and an inquest is set to open later in the week.

His funeral is unlikely to take place until after the inquest has opened.

His death comes three years after his close friend Isabella Blow, who helped launch his career, killed herself days before London Fashion Week.

Sources said the designer, who had lacerations to his arms, had attempted suicide on more than one occasion.

Last night one friend said: 'His mother died and he couldn't cope. He just went to bed for a week. His Paris show is coming up and his staff have been nagging him all week to get up and start working.

'But he wouldn't get out of bed, he just couldn't get up. He hasn't even been to any of his fittings for the show. He was so upset about his mother. It was her funeral tomorrow and he couldn't face it.'

Tribute: Flowers placed outside Alexander McQueen's shop on Old Bond Street

Friends and fans also lay flowers outside McQueen's Los Angeles boutique

McQueen's body was taken away by an ambulance yesterday afternoon. Undertakers brought out the body on a stretcher, covered in a maroon blanket.

A police statement said: 'Next of kin have been informed, however we await formal identification. A post mortem will be scheduled in due course, an inquest will open and adjourn in due course. The death is being treated as non suspicious.

A blond man who said he was the designer's boyfriend stood by the front door, sobbing and talking on the phone.

Paramedics were called to his flat, in a six-storey redbrick building near Hyde Park, shortly after 10am but McQueen, whose full name was Lee Alexander McQueen, was pronounced dead at the scene.

No suicide note was found.

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So proud: The fashion designer kisses his beloved mother, Joyce, after she interviewed him for the Guardian newspaper

His design company said in a statement: 'At this stage it is inappropriate to comment on this tragic news beyond saying that we are devastated and are sharing a sense of shock and grief with Lee's family.

'Lee's family has asked for privacy in order to come to terms with this terrible news and we hope the media will respect this.'

The windows of his Old Bond Street shop were empty last night, apart from a printed message saying he had died.

One of his lines, McQ, was due to be shown at New York Fashion Week yesterday afternoon but the show was cancelled.

Close: Alexander McQueen with Isabella Blow in 2005

Grief: McQueen, right, at Isabella Blow's funeral service in 2007

McQueen, the son of an East End cabbie and one of six children, had been close to his mother and took her death very badly. She was in her mid-seventies.

They had appeared together in a newspaper in 2004 in which Joyce interviewed her famous son. In it Joyce asked him: 'What is your most terrifying fear?' He replied: 'Dying before you.'

Emotional posts on his Twitter page revealed that McQueen - whose aunt Dolly died a year ago this week - had been battling with his grief.

On February 3rd, he wrote: 'I'm letting my followers know my mother passed away yesterday if it she had not me nor would you RIP mumxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx...'

On guard: Police outside the London home where McQueen's body was found

Moments later, he added: 'But life must go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Then on Sunday, he said: 'Sunday evening been a ****ing awful week but my friends have been great but now i have to some how pull myself together and finish with the HELLS ANGLES & PROLIFIC DEAMONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

He appeared to have recovered slightly by this week. His final message, posted on Tuesday, said: 'I'm here with my girl annie tinkerbell wishing kerry the **** happy birthday in NY, your 40 now girl time to slow it down we think.'

However, posts before his mother died also hint that he was having troubles. On February 1st, he wrote: 'From heaven to hell and back again, life is a funny thing. beauty can come from the most strangest of places even the most disgusting places.'

Imaginative: One of McQueen's eccentric catwalk creations

The final tweet: McQueen's Twitter page, with his last post, left on Tuesday

McQueen was named British Designer of the Year four times and had been awarded the CBE.

His family were comforting each other at his father's £500,000 three-bedroom house in Hornchurch, Essex, last night.

Within minutes of Mail Online breaking the news of his death yesterday afternoon, Twitter was awash with thousands of stunned posts.

And leading lights of the fashion world also rushed to pay tribute.

Model Kate Moss, a bridesmaid when McQueen entered into a civil partnership with then partner George Forsyth in 2000, was 'shocked and devastated at the tragic loss of her dear friend'.

Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, said: 'Lee McQueen influenced a whole generation of designers.

Close friends: McQueen and model Kate Moss together in 2004

'His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs.'

Dolce & Gabbana said: 'We are deeply touched for the sudden death of Alexander McQueen, a designer whom we have always admired for his creative genius and unmatched inspiration. He leaves the fashion world with an unfillable void.'

Designer Matthew Williamson said: 'I am shocked and deeply saddened by McQueen's death. He was a genius and his talent was second to none. Like many others, I always cited him as a hugely inspirational leader of world fashion. He will be greatly missed.'

Designer Katherine Hamnett said: 'He was a genius. What a terrible, tragic waste.'

Victoria Beckham, who is frequently photographed wearing McQueen designs, said: 'McQueen was a master of fashion, creative genius and an inspiration.

'Today the fashion industry has lost a true great. An icon of all time. He made all he touched beautiful and will be desperately missed. My heart is very much with his family and friends at this very sad time.'

Sarah Jessica Parker said she was 'shocked and overcome with grief about the untimely death of the quiet genius'.

Of his work, she added: 'Every single inspired, original, lofty, whimsical, stunning, brilliant and jaw dropping detail was Alexander Mcqueen. There has never been anyone like him. And there simply never will be.

'What is more devastating is that despite all his success thus far, creatively, critically and commercially, his greatest achievements lay ahead of him. The future would be whatever he hoped to make of it," she says. "God speed Lee. It has been a privilege for all of us to know you. You will be indescribably missed.'

McQueen with his CBE outside Buckingham Palace in October 2003

Cheryl Cole said: 'My heart goes out to Alexander's family and friends at this unbelievably tragic time. Fashion has lost one of its most talented and inspirational figures.'

Jo Wood wept on live television as she spoke of her devastation.

Sue Whiteley his former CEO at McQueen said: 'This is devastating news. He was an unforgettable part of my life. He was a talent who was beyond others. People who worked with him would give 100 per cent and more because he was totally inspiring. This is an unimaginable loss for the fashion world.

'He was able to bring creativity to whatever he turns his hand to, from perfume bottles to every piece of clothing. It is a dark, dark day to hear this news. he was a British icon in fashion whose loss is unimaginable.'

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw added: 'Alexander McQueen made an outstanding contribution to British fashion.

'His extraordinary talent and creativity mean that his designs are adored not just by followers of haute couture but lovers of great style everywhere.

'This is a great loss to one of Britain's most successful industries and to the design world more widely.'

Fashion consultant Alice Smith, who arrived at McQueen's home with a bunch of flowers, said: 'I have known Alexander since his first collection. He was a lovely man and the best fashion designer in the world.

'No one can beat him, no one will ever be as good as him. He was a charming man but also quite fragile.'

He left school at 16 and went to work at Savile Row’s Anderson & Sheppard, whose clients included Prince Charles and Mikhail Gorbachev, after he saw a television program about the apprentice shortage in traditional tailoring.

He went on to work for Gieves & Hawkes, theatre’s famous Angels & Bermans costumiers, and then worked in Japan and Italy.

He returned to London in 1994, hoping to work as a pattern cutter tutor at London’s prestigious Central Saint Martins fashion school.

Thanks to the strength of his portfolio, he was persuaded to enrol on the course himself.

After graduating McQueen set up his own label based in the East End of London and it was then that he was spotted by Blow.

McQueen was forced to deny rumours of a rift between the pair at the time of her death, saying: ‘It’s so much b******s. These people just don’t know what they’re talking about. They don’t know me. They don’t know my relationship with Isabella. It’s complete bull****.

'People can talk; you can ask her sisters.… That part of the industry, they should stay away from my life, or mine and Isabella’s life. What I had with Isabella was completely disassociated from fashion, beyond fashion.’