Elizabeth Taylor was laid to rest Thursday in a private family service at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles,where her good friend Michael Jackson was interred two years ago.Dame Elizabeth,given the honorific title Dame Commander,Order of the British Empire,by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000,died Wednesday of congestive heart failure,attended by her four children at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.She was 79.
The British-born actress and businesswoman was a longtime resident of The Golden State and was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2007.Fans left flowers and photos on her star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame to mark her passing.The magnitude of her celebrity was matched only by her resolve to meet the health challenges that confronted her.
Two years ago,Dame Elizabeth underwent heart valve surgery.Heart valve disease often results in congestive heart failure.
Today,early surgery is more and more recommended for heart valve patients to prevent this progression and other conditions that damaged valves lead to,such as atrial fibrillation.The old way was to postpone surgery until patients became very ill,but recent research shows that does not lead to the best outcome.
Heart valve disease has nothing to do with cholesterol levels and clogged arteries.Any of a number of other factors may be involved,from birth defects to simply the aging process.Narrowing or floppy valves put stress on the heart,often with fatal consequences.The preference is to repair the valves,but replacement with animal or artificial valves may be necessary.
Dame Elizabeth was renowned in her later years for her jewelry designs,The Elizabeth Collection,as well as her perfumes,including White Diamonds,which alone has earned an estimated one billion dollars.She was also a leading AIDS activist and philanthropist.
In addition to her sons and daughters,Dame Elizabeth is survived by her brother,Howard,as well as several grandchildren and great grandchildren.Also interred at Forest Lawn are Clark Gable,Jean Harlow and Walt Disney.
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