Who was Elizabeth Taylor and what was her cause of death?
WITHOUT a doubt Elizabeth Taylor was a legendary film icon, who oozed both beauty and talent.
But away from the silver screen, the late actress was well known for her love life and her many husbands.
Who was Elizabeth Taylor?
Born in London on February 27, 1932, to American parents, Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was a British-American actress.
She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s.
Elizabeth then became the world’s highest paid movie star in the 1960s, remaining a well-known public figure for the rest of her life.
She is best known for the movies Cleopatra (1963), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
Who were Elizabeth Taylor’s husbands?
It’s fair to say Elizabeth was well known for her love of getting married.
Overall, the actress walked down the aisle eight times.
Here are her husbands in order:
- Conrad “Nicky” Hilton – Liz was just 18 when she said “I do” to hotel heir Nicky Hilton in 1950, they divorced the following year.
- Michael Wilding – The actress and English actor Michael Wilding tied the knot in 1952 but it was over by 1957.
- Mike Todd – Not one to stay alone for long, she then married her third husband, movie producer Mike Todd, in 1957. Tragically, Todd died in a plane crash just a year later in 1958.
- Eddie Fisher – Controversially Liz stole Eddie Fisher from her good friend Debbie Reynolds. The pair wed in 1959, but didn’t stay married for long, as the split in 1964.
- Richard Burton – Elizabeth first wed Welsh actor Richard Burton – who many considered to be the love of her life – in 1964, before divorcing in 1974.
- Richard Burton (again) – They say second time’s a charm, but sadly that wasn’t the case for Richard and Liz as they wed again in 1975 before splitting for good the following year.
- John Warner – In 1976 Liz married Republican politician John Warner, before divorcing in 1982.
- Larry Fortensky – The actress’ final marriage was to construction worker Larry Fortensky who was 20 years her junior. They wed in 1991 but split in 1996.
Did Elizabeth Taylor have any children?
Elizabeth had quite the brood of children, and had four kids during her life.
During her marriage to Michael Wilding they had two sons – Michael Jr., born in 1953, and Christopher, born in 1955.
When she was wed to Mike Todd the couple had one daughter, Liza, in 1957.
Together with Richard Burton, she also adopted a German orphan named Taylor in 1964.
What was Elizabeth Taylor’s most expensive piece of jewelry?
Known for her expensive taste in jewels, Liz had a Le Peregrina natural pearl necklace.
The piece broke the world record for the most expensive pearl ever sold at auction, selling for a huge £10million.
Liz’s Krupp Diamond Ring is also considered to be one of the most valuable pieces of jewelry that the star owed.
The impressive piece was her most prized possession.
She received the ring as a gift from her husband Richard Burton in 1968.
Later on, it was auctioned for a record price of just under $9M (around £7M).
The stone in the ring weighs 33.19 carats.
What was Elizabeth Taylor’s cause of death?
Elizabeth’s health increasingly declined during the last two decades of her life and she rarely attended public events after 1996.
She used a wheelchair due to her back problems and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2004.
Liz died from the illness aged 79 on March 23, 2011, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Her funeral took place the following day at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Who did Elizabeth Taylor leave her fortune to when she died?
Elizabeth left behind an incredible wealth of £500M.
She made her fortune from her several film appearances, where she was reportedly paid a huge £800K for her role in Cleopatra.
When she died, the actress left behind a huge estate including property and jewellery.
It is reported that her trust passed the majority of her assets to her children, grandchildren as well as to various charities.
One of her grandchildren, Quinn Tivey, is a trustee of Elizabeth’s estate and foundation, collectively known as the House of Taylor.