Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932. Her American parents were long-time residents in the UK, returning to Los Angeles only as World War II threatened.

Spotted by movie scouts when she was ten, Taylor became one of Hollywood's rising stars. Her teenage looks captivated many, including billionaire Howard Hughes.

Renowned as "the world's most beautiful woman", Taylor embarked on a string of ill-fated marriages. Wed to hotelier Nick Hilton while still in her teens, she went on to marry actor Michael Wilding - 19 years her senior and with whom she had two children.

Taylor converted to Judaism to become the wife of Mike Todd, who died in his aeroplane, "Lucky Liz".

Following her divorce from Eddie Fisher, the actress began a romance with Welsh star Richard Burton on the set of the film Cleopatra. They became one of the most famous couples of the 1960s.

Together on screen and off, Taylor and Burton had a troubled marriage. The pair divorced and remarried, finally parting in 1976. The Oscar-winning screen actress increasingly moved into TV work.

Marriage number seven, to politician John Warner, also ended in divorce. Taylor entered the Betty Ford Clinic to address her alcohol and drug problems. Here she met and married lowly construction worker Larry Fortensky.

Despite a flagging film career, Taylor remains a much admired figure in celebrity circles, her every move still eagerly followed by the world's media.

Boasting her own catalogue of medical complaints and several brushes with death - even while in her prime - Taylor has worked tirelessly to further research into Aids.