Photos: inside Joan Rivers $35m opulent New York apartment

Opulent: The drawing room in Joan Rivers' Upper East Side condo is a sea of pink and gold velvet, with a grand piano in the corner, lit by three glittering chandeliers

Joan Rivers’ lived and died a queen. Her New York apartment is $35 million. The home  has floor-ceiling windows and gold-plated walls. Her living room ceilings scaled 30ft-high, and velvet drapes framed the vast windows. And in every corner of the opulent New York apartment sit stacks of index cards with jokes spanning her entire career.

The legendary comedienne once described the Upper East Side condo as 'where Marie Antoinette would have lived if she had the money'. She put it on the market years ago for $29.5 million - but it is now worth an estimated $35 million. more pics after cut…

The money shot: Stacks of the biting and controversial jokes that made Joan Rivers a star are scattered around the apartment

In progress: Among her extensive archive there were files of uncompleted jokes that have survived the star's tragic death after a routine vocal chords operation

A pillar of showbusiness: Like Rivers, who died last week at 81, the New York apartment lined with pillars and mirrors is a star of the city, valued at around $35 million

Renaissance style: Rivers once described her home with marble statues and cast-iron decor as 'where Marie Antoinette would live if she had the money'

Sweeping: To get up to the glittering penthouse, next door to Bette Midler's home, the star would have to scale this vast marble staircase helped by a carved iron rail

Elegant: The bedroom, complete with a four poster bed and lacy drapes and a permanent stock of fresh lillies, is 'as elegant and beautiful as she was', the realtor said

Backstage: She prepared for every day as if she was going to perform, starting in this bulb-lined bathroom which resembled backstage at a theatre

Cosy: This off-shoot of the vast living area is much smaller but still a treasure trove of silver, gold and pink, with a potted orchid and a mahogany table

Fashion police officer: This is a sneak peek inside the decadent wardrobe of the Fashion Police presenter, who revelled in slating other stars' sartorial mishaps.