The three arrived at the film-maker's 172-acre estate near St Albans, Hertfordshire, in a series of limousines, ignoring some 30 waiting reporters and photographers.

Kubrick in 1975, while making film Barry Lyndon

Carloads of other soberly dressed mourners, including BBC executive Alan Yentob, also drove in to Childwickbury Manor.

Four black-suited private security guards let the guests into the estate for a service shrouded in secrecy.

It is understood that the reclusive director's funeral had been held at a secret location on Thursday night, and that the stars were attending a special memorial service.

Tight security

Security was tight, with private guards and police ensuring only authorised people were allowed past the electronic gates, high hedges and numerous "no trespassing" signs.

Kubrick died on Sunday at the age of 70, less than a week after his last completed film, Eyes Wide Shut, was delivered to Warner Brothers.

The erotic thriller stars real-life couple Cruise and Kidman. It was shot in unprecedented secrecy at Pinewood Studios, near Kubrick's home.

A steamy 90-second trailer released on Thursday was the first public glimpse of the film's content. Even Cruise and Kidman only recently saw a completed version.

American by birth, Kubrick based himself in Britain and lived a secluded life in his Hertfordshire mansion. He is survived by wife Christiane, a painter, and daughters Katherine, Anya and Vivian.