Raquel Welch's cause of death revealed after she died following a 'brief illness'

Raquel Welch died after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to her recently published death certificate.

The Hollywood icon had also been secretly battling Alzheimer's disease, with the document stating this was one of the underlying causes of her death.

Raquel died in Los Angeles at the age of 82 on February 15, following what was described as a "brief illness".

The Fantastic Voyage actress passed away in the early hours of the morning and has since been cremated, according to her death certificate.

Her long-term business manager Steve Sauer confirmed the news of her death at the time, with celebrities from across the globe paying tribute to the star.

Raquel Welch suffered a cardiac arrest (Getty Images)

She had secretly battled Alzheimer's disease (Getty Images North America)

Her death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ, said she had suffered heart failure while at home in southern California.

Raquel is survived by her two children — son Damon Welch and daughter Tahnee Welch.

The actress had celebrated a career which spanned over 50 years on both the small screen and big screen, culminating in a number of top award wins.

Among them was a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her 1974 role in The Three Musketeers.

The actress had a hugely successful career (The Hollywood Archive / Avalon)

She had won a number of awards (Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)

Elsewhere in a long list of TV credits, Raquel featured in Bewitched, Seinfeld, and McHale’s Navy. Her film credits include 100 Rifles and The Last of Sheila, as well as The Three Musketeers.

Following the sad news of her death, a number of huge names in showbiz took to social media to pay the respects. Among them was Reese Witherspoon, who wrote on Twitter : "So sad to hear about Raquel Welch’s passing.

"I loved working with her on Legally Blonde. She was elegant , professional and glamorous beyond belief. Simply stunning. May all her angels carry her home."

On Instagram, Viola Davis shared her own heartfelt words, penning: "It was a pleasure to meet you! You were ageless to me….iconic…Rest well Raquel Welch!!"

Eugenio Derbez, who starred with Raquel on her final film in 2017, How To Be A Latin Lover, also hailed her for "being so warm and so funny".

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