Acting legend Elizabeth Taylor dies of congestive heart failure in hospital
Last of the Hollywood greats: Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died in hospital aged 79of congestive heart failure
Actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died at the age of 79, her publicist confirmed in a statement today.
The star passed away from congestive heart failure in hospital last night having suffered from the condition since November 2004.
She was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles 'for monitoring' last month.
While her publicist confirmed: 'Legendary actress, and fearless activist Elizabeth Taylor died peacefully today in Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
'She was surrounded by her children- Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton,' it added.
In addition to her children, she is survived by ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The English-American star, considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood's golden age, was surrounded by her children: Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton.
Taylor's son, Michael Wilding, said in a statement: 'We will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world.
'My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humour, and love.
He added: Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world.
'Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mum having lived in it.
'Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.'
Her last show: Elizabeth was snapped celebrating her 79th birthday a month early in January before she was admitted to hospital a few days after
Dame Elizabeth turned 79 on February 27 but celebrated with her friends and family a month early as ten days later she was admitted to hospital to undergo surgery to repair a leaky heart valve.
The Hollywood veteran, who was born February 27th, in Hampstead north London, announced the news via social networking site Twitter.
She used the Twitter to relay news of her illness to supporters asking them to pray for her.
'I'll let you know when it is all over. Love you, Elizabeth,' was one of the final messaged tweeted.
Dame Elizabeth had struggled with her health for a number of years - and was more often not seen at events in a wheelchair.
She broke her back at least five times, had three bouts of pneumonia of which one, in 1961, required a tracheotomy, and another, in 1990, nearly killed her.
There were two hip-replacement operations and surgery to remove a benign golf ball-sized brain tumour, plus two stays at the Betty Ford clinic.
More health troubles plagued Taylor in the late 1980s including recurring back trouble that led her to start drinking again and to start using pain-killing drugs forcing her to return to the Betty Ford Clinic.
But throughout all this Dame Elizabeth managed to retain her sense of humour. In 1999, asked what she would like to see written on her gravestone, she replied: 'Here lies Elizabeth. She hated being called Liz. But she lived.'
The actress's star burned brightly in the spotlight since finding fame in Hollywood at the age of 12.
She earned four Oscar nominations- for Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly, Last Summer - finally winning at her fourth attempt with film Butterfield 8.
And in 1961 she became the highest-paid actress in America and the first star ever to be paid $1million for a screen appearance.
She received the fee for the lead in Cleopatra - a lavish costume drama about ancient Rome and Egypt.
When the film was released in 1962 it was a critical flop but earned enough at the box office to cover the vast production costs.
Her second Oscar came in 1967 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
The last of the great Hollywood movie stars,she became famed not just her stunning beauty or talent but also for her chequered love life.
Dame Elizabeth married eight times to seven husbands - most notably - the late Welsh born actor Richard Burton who she married twice.
The warring couple, who met during filming of 1963's Cleopatra - one of the most expensive films of all time - made 12 films together.
It was during the filming of Cleopatra movie that she worked for the first time with future husband Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony.
Scandal erupted when Taylor and Burton - both married - began an affair.
Dame Elizabeth and Burton divorced their respective spouses and wed in 1964. He would become Taylor's fifth and sixth husband.
Upon their engagement, Burton gave Taylor the 33-carat Krupp diamond the first of several spectacular named gems that Taylor, who had a lifelong obsession with jewellery, would own.
The Taylor-Burton romance was notoriously stormy and passionate. And the couple was famous worldwide for their opulent jet-setting lifestyle, with multimillion-dollar homes and private yachts.
Throughout the relationship Burton continued to lavish extravagant jewellery on Taylor including the extraordinary Taylor-Burton, then 69.42 carat, colourless diamond, which he purchased in 1969 for $1.1million in a private sale from Cartier.
They divorced over Burton's excessive drinking habit in 1974 after ten years together only to remarry the following year before divorcing again in 1976.
During the relationship the couple adopted a daughter together, Maria Burton born 1 August, 1961, who Taylor remained close to after their separation.
In a 2006 interview Taylor referred to Burton as her 'soulmate.'
'Richard enriched my life in different ways, internal journeys into feelings and thoughts,' Taylor said.
'He taught me poetry and literature, and introduced me to worlds of beauty. He made me laugh. He made me cry. He explored areas in me that I knew existed but which had never been touched. There was never a dull moment.
'I loved Richard through two marriages and until the day he died.'
As well as her film career, Dame Elizabeth is also known for her work for AIDS related charities.
Along with other Hollywood celebrities she helped start the American Foundation for AIDS Research after the AIDS related death of her former co-star and friend, Rock Hudson in 1985.
She also created her own AIDS foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation
Elton John today paid tribute to the actress: 'We have just lost a Hollywood giant; more importantly, we have lost an incredible human being.'
Considered by many to be the closest America has had to royalty, her every move was chronicled by the tabloid and mainstream press as her tumultuous career soared to the heights of stardom and the depths of despair, which included her personal battles with alcoholism and drug abuse.
Above all the actress demonstrated an uncanny ability to rebound, endure and thrive after blows to her health and well-being.
'The ups and downs, the problems and stress, along with all the happiness, have given me optimism and hope because I am living proof of survival,' she said.
'I've come through things that would have felled an ox. That fills me with optimism, not just for myself but for our particular species.'
Elizabeth Taylor
LIZ TAYLOR: A LIFE ON SCREEN
1942 - There’s One Born Every Minute – Taylor’s first appearance on the silver screen was released when she was just 10-years-old.
1943 – Lassie Come Home – Despite being dropped by Universal after her first film Elizabeth was signed up by MGM and appeared in three films before her big break the following year.
1944 – National Velvet – Taylor rose to fame in the smash hit playing Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney at just 12-years-old
1954 – Her busiest year saw Elizabeth star in no less than four films and at 22 years old was considered a great beauty
1957 – Raintree County – The actress was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as Susanna Drake but she missed out on the award on the night.
1960 – Butterfield 8 – After missing out on an Oscar three times, Taylor was awarded with an Academy Award for her portrayal of the beautiful Gloria Wandrous . She starred alongside her then-husband Eddie Fisher
1963 – Cleopatra – Elizabeth played the leading role in what was at the time one of the most expensive movies. Not only was she paid $1million but she also met her future husband Richard Burton.
1966 – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? –Taylor was awarded an Oscar for her role as Martha and starred alongside her then-husband Richard Burton. The couple made a total of eight films together.
1970 – The Only Game In Town – By the end of the 1960’s Taylor had lost some of her pulling power at the cinema
1982 – The Little Foxes (play) – Elizabeth made her Broadway and West End debut with a revival of Lillian Hellman’s play
1994 – The Flintstones – The actress played Wilma’s mother in her last theatrical film
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. RIP
