Goodbye Elizabeth of the Violet Eyes

 Born in London in 1932 of American Parents. She was discovered in Los Angeles by a  movie scout
.

 Married first husband Conrad (Nicky) Hilton in 1950

 She wed second husband Michael Wilding in 1952 and bore him two sons Michael and Christopher

 Married Mike Todd in 1957 - He died in a plane crash

 Married Eddie Fisher in 1959 and divorced him in 1964

 Wed to Richard Burton in 1964, parted in 1974 - Re-wed in 1975 and divorced in 1976

 Married to John Warner - former US Naval Secretary later senator - 1976-1982

 Larry Fortensky - building contractor - 1982-87

 Made Dame by the queen with Julie Andrews in 1999

 With her dear friend Michael Jackson at Aids Benefit

 Struggled with drugs and alcohol - two hip replacements and later brain tumor

Her last performance - 2007 - in AR Gurney's Love Letters - for Aids charity

Dame Elizabeth Taylor, one of the 20th Century's biggest, most flamboyant and beautiful movie stars, died Wednesday in Los Angeles at the age of 79. The double Oscar-winning actress had a long history of ill health and was being treated for symptoms of congestive heart failure. Her four children were with her when she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In a statement, her son Michael Wilding called her "an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest". "We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it," he continued. "Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

In her prime she was equally well-known for her glamor, her beauty and gorgeous violet eyes as she was for her scandalous private life and film partnership with Richard Burton, one of seven husbands.
She spent almost her entire life in the public eye, from tiny dancer performing at age 3 before the future queen of England, to child screen star to home-wrecker to three-time Academy Award winner for both acting and humanitarian work.


"A diva, she made a spectacle of her private life — eight marriages, ravenous appetites for drugs, booze and food, ill health that sparked headlines constantly. All of it often overshadowed the fireworks she created on screen. Yet for all her infamy and indulgences, Taylor died Wednesday a beloved idol, a woman who somehow held onto her status as one of old Hollywood's last larger-than-life legends, adored even as she waned to a tabloid figure." - Quote from David Germain - AP -Says it all

The peak of her film career came in the 1950s and 1960s, with four Oscar nominations in a row from 1958 to 1961. She lost out in her first three attempts - for Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Suddenly, Last Summer - but triumphed at her fourth attempt with Butterfield 8. Her second Oscar came in 1967 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, one of 12 films with Richard Burton. She met the actor while filming 1963's Cleopatra - which became notorious as one of the most expensive films of all time, but which also sparked one of Hollywood's greatest romances.

Taylor had already been married four times - to Conrad Hilton Jr, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd and Eddie Fisher - before she wed Burton in 1964. Their tempestuous relationship saw them divorce and remarry in 1975 before she moved on to further marriages with John W Warner and Larry Fortensky.

Her health problems began with a fall while filming her first hit film, National Velvet, which led to a lifetime of back problems. A rare strain of pneumonia almost killed her in 1961 and she also battled addictions to alcohol and painkillers. In the 1990s, she endured two hip replacement operations and another near-fatal bout of pneumonia and survived 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. But she continued to campaign for her Aids charity, which she set up in 1991 after the death of her friend and co-star Rock Hudson.

In addition to her four children - Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Maria Burton-Carson and Liza Todd-Tivey - Dame Elizabeth is survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.A private family funeral will be held later this week. Instead of flowers, the family has requested that contributions be made to the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation.

Sleep with the angels Elizabeth. We will never forget your incredible beauty, talent and indomitable spirit and your image will haunt us all far into the misty future.