"My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humour, and love," he said in a statement.

"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."

The foundation she created to raise awareness about the disease, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, said "We mourn the loss of legendary actress, businesswoman, and fearless activist Elizabeth Taylor."

Tributes to her poured in on a special Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethTaylorTribute) and fellow stars from Larry King to Alyssa Milano rushed to pay their respects on Twitter.

"Rest in peace, Elizabeth Taylor. You are a prism & will live on through all the good you did while you were with us," tweeted Milano.

"If Elizabeth took on a battle, she took it on 100 per cent," said King. "She was first major celeb in the AIDS battle and she made it her cause."

Comedian Whoopi Goldberg recalled her having "a sense of humour that was so bawdy even I was saying 'Really? That came out of your mouth?' She was just a magnificent woman. She was a great broad and a good friend."

"The shock of Elizabeth was not only her beauty. It was her generosity. Her giant laugh," said Mike Nichols, who directed her in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? "She is singular and indelible on film and in our hearts."

"So sad to hear about my beautiful friend Elizabeth Taylor. She was a great human being," Michael Caine said about the actress, with whom he starred in the 1972 film X,Y and Zee.

British actress Joan Collins praised Taylor as "the last of the true Hollywood icons." There would "never be another star who comes close to her luminosity and generosity."

Singer Elton John, a long-time friend of the actress, said: "We have just lost a Hollywood giant. More importantly, we have lost an incredible human being."

Singer George Michael said Taylor was one of the last Hollywood greats and the only person he had ever met who had violet eyes. "They were genuinely violet, so beautiful," Michael said on his website.

Veteran film-maker Michael Winner said: "Elizabeth Taylor was the last of the great glamour stars. She was the longest-running soap opera in history, and represented all the allure and tragedy that attracts people to Hollywood."

"RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor.....Like a pure white diamond you'll shine on and on and on," wrote singer and actress Kylie Minogue.

"RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor, surely the last of a breed," actor and writer Stephen Fry tweeted, a sentiment Questlove of the Roots seconded. "Man. End of an era," the musician wrote. "Liz has gone to keep MJ company. RIP."

Legendary singer Barbra Streisand said: "It's the end of an era. It wasn't just her beauty or her stardom. It was her humanitarianism. She put a face on HIV/AIDS. She was funny. She was generous. She made her life count."

Said the late King of Pop's sister LaToya Jackson in a statement, "Liz Taylor was an amazing woman and screen legend, she was an incredible friend to my brother at his side through some of his most difficult times and of course loved by his children and our family. She will live on in our hearts forever, my prayers go out to her family."

Tito Jackson, brother of friend Michael Jackson, also said, "Elizabeth Taylor was an impactful person in this industry and on society as a whole. I specifically admire her charitable efforts including bringing early awareness to HIV/AIDS. Most memorable is her steadfast loyalty and unwavering friendship to my late brother Michael Jackson. Liz provided a sense of relief and comfort to my brother at various difficult times in his life, and I appreciate that, may she rest in peace."

Madonna said in a statement, "I am so sorry to hear that this great legend has passed. I admired and respected her not only as an actress but for her amazing and inspiring work as an AIDS activist. She was one of a kind."

Roseanne Cash, daughter of famed musician Johnny Cash, revealed on Twitter, "Every year Elizabeth Taylor sent my dad a telegram (yes, telegram) for his birthday. It said: 'Remember, I'm younger than you!'" But it was only by one day, Cash noted.

And of course, no one can remember Taylor without acknowledging her breathtaking beauty. "The world has lost a truly iconic beauty, inside and out," Victoria Beckham tweeted. "Elizabeth Taylor will be deeply missed." Fashion designer Michael Kors wrote, "So sad to hear about the passing of Elizabeth Taylor. Beauty, kindness, glamour, and humor with talent to spare...what an amazing loss."

But for Steve Martin, much like for Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters, it was Taylor's sense of humor that he adored. "I met Elizabeth Taylor several times," the entertainer tweeted."She was witty and self-deprecating, which I found surprising and delightful. She loved to laugh."

Kim Kardashian, who'd just had an interview with Taylor in Harper's Bazaar, wrote, "I am so saddened about the passing of Elizabeth Taylor! She will always be my idol!"

Singer Mariah Carey said "R.I.P. Elizabeth Taylor an incomparable legend who will live forever."

In the interview, Kardashian asked Taylor how to become more like her, noting that she was about six husbands and some eye-catching baubles behind. Taylor advised her, "Follow your passion, follow your heart, and the things you need will come."

But as heralded as Taylor was for her remarkable beauty and talent, it was her work put in off-screen that many are remembering.

Paris Hilton - great-niece of the first former Taylor hubby Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr. - called the one-time couple "stunning."

"So sad to hear about Elizabeth Taylor. She was so beautiful, such an inspiration and an icon," Hilton wrote. "She was an amazing humanitarian and brought smiles to everyone around the world. She was always so sweet to me and I will really miss her. "

TV personality Mo Rocca also weighed in: "Crazy mad acting talent + jaw dropping beauty + pure sex = Elizabeth Taylor...Sorry, today's simpering starlets don't compare...Hoping tired recitation of Elizabeth Taylor's marriages doesn't overshadow huge acting talent & unblinking courage speaking out about AIDS."

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton also chimed in, thanking Taylor for her humanitarian efforts with a link to the website for her AIDS foundation.

"R.I.P. Dame Elizabeth," he wrote. "Thank you for all the good you have done in this world!"