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After years of living as one of the most closely protected families in the world, Michael Jackson’s three children are to attend school for the first time.

In an emotional interview to mark the first anniversary of the singer’s death, their grandmother and guardian Katherine Jackson has told The Mail on Sunday that she is determined to give Prince, Paris and Blanket a more conventional upbringing.

Until now, they have been taught at home, in keeping with Michael ’s policy of keeping them largely hidden from the outside world.

‘I’d say I’m a little less strict but I’ve tried to follow the way Michael was raising them,’ she says in her first interview since he died of a suspected heart attack on June 25 last year at his Los Angeles home.

‘But they don’t have friends. They don’t go to school. They have private lessons at home. They’ll be going to a private school in September for the first time.’

The 80-year-old great-grandmother laughs at the idea the children could ever have a wholly normal life, but says they have a healthy routine of daily schoolwork, karate and swimming.

She says there is hardly a day without visits from members of her extended family to her home in Los Angeles. ‘Having them around has helped the children immensely. They go places together and have fun. They listen to Michael’s music.’

Katherine has come under media scrutiny again in recent weeks after reported comments by her husband, Joe Jackson, who said she was in part responsible for Michael’s death – a sentiment he has now retracted.

And last week her youngest son, Randy, was rushed to hospital with a heart attack, but he seems to be recovering.

Throughout, however, she says her priority has been caring for her grandchildren Prince, 13, Paris, 12, and Blanket, eight.

Katherine was made their legal guardian in the weeks following Michael’s death, although she has no control over his estate, which is held in a trust fund.

The three children have been deeply affected, she says. Paris has created a shrine to him in her bedroom. ‘I wanted to hang pictures of flowers or ballerinas, like I would expect a girl would.

But she went into the closet and she brought out seven or eight pictures of Michael and said, “No, I want Daddy hanging in my room. I always want to see him.”

‘So she goes to bed looking at him and wakes up looking at him. Paris has that lovely way like Michael, and I see his talent in her. Whatever she does she’s very good at it. She’s a good artist and plays the piano. She wants to be an actress.’

Katherine believes all three share something of Michael. Prince is interested in the arts, hoping to be a film producer, while Blanket has his sense of playfulness.