Oscar Wilde tomb lip disservice NEWS
Oscar Wilde's grandson Merlin Holland and actor Rupert Everett attend the unveiling of Wilde's refurbished tomb with a new barrier to prevent damage from thousands of adoring fan's lipstick kisses.
The ceremony at the Pére Lachaise cemetery celebrated a restoration that has returned the memorial's appearance to how it would have looked in 1912. Surrounding the tomb is a protective barrier erected to deter the lipstick kisses that caused the tomb damage.
A cult pastime, the grave of the Irish writer is famous for having thousands of lipstick kisses decorating it with the 'graffiti' starting in 1985. Since then, the lipstick grease gradually eroded parts of the stone.
'The graffiti was done with love, which is an unusual phenomenon.' said Holland.
'Graffiti tends to be protestatory. Other graves of people who are admired tend to get little bits of paper with notes scribbled and flowers. The kissing phenomenon is reserved entirely for Oscar. [I am] deeply touched that this man who had been hounded out of England is now adored by all his fans. But the destruction of the monument was terrible. It was such a mess this is just not the way to show your love for him.' He added.
'He is the patron saint of anyone who feels a bit outcast. He's quite comparable to Edith Piaf as a sufferer. What you know about Wilde is about injustice and being brought down.' said Everett, whose films include adaptations of The Importance of Being Ernest and The Ideal Husband.
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