Elizabeth Taylor - The Grand Dame of Hollywood

Legendary actress and iconic beauty Elizabeth Taylor has died. She was 79. "She was surrounded by her children: Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton," Taylor's publicist, Sally Morrison, said yesterday.

"My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humour, and love," Taylor's son, Michael Wilding, told ABC News. "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 Mom 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."

Born in Hampstead, London, in 1932, Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most legendary Hollywood stars of our time, as famous for being one of the most beautiful women in the world as she is for having married eight times ("Nicky" Conrad Hilton Jr from May 1950 to February 1951; Michael Wilding from February 1952 to January 1957; Mike Todd from February 1957 until his death in March 1958; Eddie Fisher from May 1959 to March 1964; Richard Burton from March 1964 to June 1974; Richard Burton from October 1975 to August 1976; John Warner from December 1976 to November 1982 and Larry Fortensky from October 1991 to October 1996) ; for her pioneering work in support of AIDS and HIV education and fund-raising; for her high profile friendship with Michael Jackson; and for her love of show-stopping jewels.

Her much documented relationship with actor Richard Burton began on the set of Cleopatra - the most expensive film ever made, at the time - when both were married to other people. Burton left his first wife Sybil, Taylor left her fourth husband - actor Eddie Fisher - and the two were married ten days later at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal. After ten years together they divorced, only to remarry the following year in a ceremony at the Chobe National Park in Kasane, Botswana, Africa. Burton's famously lavish gifts to Taylor, began in 1968 with the 33.19-carat Asscher-cut Krupp Diamond, which she wore set in a ring throughout her life. Other famous presents included the heart-shaped Taj-Mahal diamond, inscribed in Arabic, for her 40th birthday: "I would have liked to buy her the Taj-Mahal," Burton said at the time, "but it would cost too much to transport. This diamond has so many carats, it's almost a turnip." Most famous of all was a 69.42-carat pear-shape diamond - later known as the Taylor-Burton Diamond - which Taylor wore in public for the first time when she attended Princess Grace's 40th birthday party in Monaco in 1969. In 1978, following her second divorce from Burton, Taylor sold the diamond to raise funds for a hospital in Botswana. It achieved $5 million at auction. Their marriage was famously tempestuous, creating spectacular rows, but when Burton died in 1984 Taylor was distraught and reportedly said she would like to be buried with him when she died. "If Richard and I divorce, I swear I will never marry anyone again," she said during their first marriage. "I love him insanely."

Taylor won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her roles in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (in 1966) and BUtterfield 8 (1960). She was nominated three times in the three years preceding her first win - for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Raintree Country (1957) - but was beaten to the Oscar each time. She was photographed for the cover of Life magazine more than anyone else in the world - 11 times - and she appeared on the cover of People magazine 14 times, putting her second only to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Her status as a fashion icon grew throughout her career - she was a long-time fan of couturier Marc Bohan and his work at Dior and she launched many fragrances under the Elizabeth Taylor franchise, the most famous of which is White Diamonds.

Taylor battled ill-health throughout her life. She suffered a fall whilst on the set of the film that made her famous - National Velvet, with Mickey Rooney - which led to a lifetime of back problems. The birth of her third child - daughter Liza, with third husband Michael Todd - left Taylor unconscious for four days after contracting pneumonia and meant she was unable to have more children. She adopted a daughter, Maria, with Richard Burton in 1964. Whilst filming Cleopatra with Burton the same year, she contracted a rare-strain of pneumonia and almost died, halting production of the film - for which she was paid $1 million. In the Nineties, Taylor had two hip-replacement operations and another near-fatal bout of pneumonia before undergoing surgery for a benign brain tumour in 1997. In 2004, it was revealed that she was suffering from congestive heart failure, with symptoms including fatigue and shortness of breath, and scoliosis, which twisted her spine. Taylor revealed via Twitter in October 2009 that she preparing for a heart procedure, "[It is] very new and involves repairing my leaky valve using a clip device, without open heart surgery so that my heart will function better." Throughout her life, Taylor battled addictions to alcohol and drugs but was reportedly sober and clean over the last two decades of her life.

As well as her four children, Taylor is survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A private family funeral was held the day after the actress' death, Thursday March 24, and Taylor was laid to rest at the Forest Lawn cemetery where Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Walt Disney and her friend Michael Jackson - amongst others - are buried. The family asked that, rather than flowers, contributions be made to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Personal messages can be left on Taylor's official Facebook page.

Taylor's will is to be read out sometime next week.

Source: Lauren Milligan