Eugenious and Hilda Marcel were embalmed after their deaths in 1987 and 1994, but son Melvyn kept their bodies in a freezer pending the construction of a private mausoleum he wanted to build for them.

The bodies were discovered by police in 2002 during an investigation into alleged fraud at a funeral home and transferred to a mortuary.

They rested there for 15 years until this February, when City of Edinburgh Council won a court case and subsequent appeal to arrange their funeral and burial, despite the younger Marcel’s objections.

They were buried at Craigmillar Castle Park Cemetery on Thursday.