Michael Jackson's Children, a Year After His Death

It's been a year since the death of pop icon Michael Jackson left his three children, Prince Michael, now 13, Paris, 12, and Prince Michael II aka Blanket, 8, orphans. Having spent their lives up to that time sheltered from the world, their father's funeral was the first time they appeared in public uncovered. The children have spent the past year sequestered at the Jackson family compound in Encino, under the care of their maternal grandmother, 80-year-old Katherine Jackson.

Jackson's children's lives up to his death were spent in isolation, and when in public, they were masked or veiled. They had none of the interaction normally experienced by homeschoolers with other children educated at home by parents or tutors. They grew up thinking their father's idiosyncrasies were normal. Paris was literally snatched from the delivery room at birth, taken home by Jackson before she was even properly washed. There was the infamous scene where Jackson held Blanket upside down from a window in London.

Since then, the children have been coming out of themselves, according to their Aunt LaToya, and in May of this year, they appeared in this You Tube Video. In an interview with The Associated Press, Adam Streisand, Katherine Jackson's lawyer, said the children are "normal kids full of fun and pranks, devoted to each other and to their grandmother," and that, "The children are seemingly as normal as normal can be under pretty extraordinary circumstances." Paris made her first public appearance at her father memorial service last year, telling the world, "Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine." Since then, she and Prince Michael I have accepted a lifetime achievement award at the 2010 Grammys on behalf of their father, where Prince Michael said "To all his songs, his message was simple, love. We will continue to spread his message and help the world." On the anniversary of their father's death, all three children made their first trip to Gary, Indiana, Jackson's hometown, for a memorial tribute.

Katherine Jackson recently told the London's Daily Mail that she sees her son's spirit in his children, whom she is raising "a little less strict" than their father would have. This fall, says Katherine, the eldest son and perhaps Paris will be enrolled in private school for the first time. They take karate lessons, spend day trips with Elizabeth Taylor (okay, maybe that's not normal-normal, but to them she's a family friend), and can go out in public without masks or veils. The children love going to action and fantasy movies, albeit escorted by security guards.

The children are beginning to develop their own interests. Prince wants to be a filmmaker, using his siblings and cousins in his home movies, and Paris wants to be an actress. Streisand describes Blanket as "totally cute and personable, a very bright little boy who looks a lot like his father." This summer, according to their Uncle Jackie, plans have been made to take the children to Disney World, the Smithsonian and other places that offer fun and educational opportunites.

Despite their bizarre early upbringing, and considering the problems most famous people have keeping their children's lives as normal as possible, it seems the Jackson children have indeed begun to blossom, and are dealing with the loss of their father extremely well. In an interview on 20/20, Jackson friend Frank Cascio told Elizabeth Vargas the children are strong and doing very well, and have a very good support system. He said Debbie Rowe, the mother of the two oldest children, is now part of the children's' lives. Previously, the children were told Rowe was an aunt, but know the truth now and respect her. He said while Rowe is "playing her role," it's not easy, but "it is what it is." Vargas/Cascio 20/20 clip

While the children's lives have become more "normal" since their father's death, being raised by the Jackson family will never be totally "normal." For example, four boy cousins and the mother of those cousins also live at the estate with Michael's kids. Jermaine Jackson is the father of two of those boys, and and Randy Jackson is the father of the other two, making them siblings AND cousins. Compared to two brothers having kids by the same woman, perhaps the controversy surrounding the surrogate parenthood of Michael Jackson's kids was a bit overplayed.

Regardless of how well-adjusted these children are reported to be, however, the sheer weight of who they are will follow them throughout their lives. We can only wish them well.

Sources: AccessHollywood; TheStir; TheTelegraph; Cnn.com