Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:05p.m.
The journalist who claimed one of the century's greatest scoops by reporting on Edmund Hillary's conquest of Everest will be among the mourners at his funeral tomorrow.
Jan Morris, then James Morris, was The Times staff reporter seconded to John Hunt's 1953 Everest expedition.
Born a man, he fathered five children before having a sex-change operation in 1972.
Jan Morris will be accompanied by Elizabeth, the mother of his children, the pair still living together harmoniously despite his sex change.
Other representatives of the 1953 expedition to attend the funeral include include George Lowe from Christchurch, Mike Westmacott and George Band from the UK, and Alfred Gregory from Australia.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said that other guests would include representatives from many nations including the UK. the US, Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Nepal, Russia and Tonga.
NZPA