Bob Geldof was yesterday granted temporary custody of the four-year-old daughter of his former wife, the television presenter, Paula Yates, who was found dead at her west London home on Sunday.
In a statement from the Official Solicitor, Mr Laurence Oates, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily was confirmed as a ward of court with "interim care and control . . . committed to Sir Bob Geldof".
The decision to make a child a ward of court is normal if a minor is orphaned. The Official Solicitor will now represent Tiger Lily, as she is known, in any wardship proceedings.
Appealing for privacy, Mr Oates said both he and Sir Bob "would be very grateful if the right to privacy of Tiger Lily and the other children of the late Paula Yates could be respected at this very sad and difficult time."
The girl, whose father was the INXS frontman, Michael Hutchence, is now staying at Bob Geldof's London home with his three daughters, Fifi Trixibelle (17), Peaches (10) and Pixie (7), from his marriage to Ms Yates.
An inquest into Ms Yates's death is due to open in London tomorrow, and Scotland Yard yesterday announced that the results of a post-mortem had proved "inconclusive".
Police said it could be several days before the cause of her death was known as further medical tests were being carried out and forensic scientists were examining "substances" found beside her body in an effort to determine how she died.
Police refused to comment on newspaper reports that Ms Yates (40) may have died from a drug overdose, with several newspapers suggesting a jar of prescribed tablets, a bottle of vodka and heroin were found beside her bed at her Notting Hill home.
Police also confirmed that Tiger Lily was the only other person inside the mews house and had discovered her mother's dead body.
After telephoning the house several times and receiving no reply from Ms Yates, a friend let herself in and found Ms Yates in an upstairs bedroom. She telephoned the ambulance service, but the presenter was declared dead at 11.30 a.m.
As Bob Geldof and his family remained behind closed doors, the presenter's friends arrived at her home to remove some personal items. Ms Yates's friend, Ms Belinda Brewin, spent 25 minutes in the house and with the help of plainclothes police officers carried out up to eight bags of personal items.
Before driving away from the house, Ms Brewin told reporters: "The family are absolutely devastated. I feel very tired and very sad and I'll miss her." The family solicitor, Mr Anthony Burton, also visited the house where the locks on doors were changed yesterday.
Since the death of Michael Hutchence in a hotel room in Sydney three years ago Ms Yates had suffered from bouts of depression and had spent some time in private clinics.
The singer's father, Mr Kelland Hutchence, who once opened legal proceedings to gain temporary custody of Tiger Lily, said on GMTV he believed that his granddaughter was in "very good hands" but that it had not been decided whether she would remain in London or go to live with his family in Australia.
PA adds: Last night it was reported that Tiger Lily was at the centre of a custody battle. Ms Tina Hutchence, sister of the former INXS frontman, said she and her mother, Ms Patricia Glassop, have contacted about trying to gain custody of her.
Ms Hutchence, from Burbank, California, told the London Times: "This is worth fighting for."