Cilla Black’s son has confirmed that the his mother's post-mortem was conclusive, stating that the cause of her death has now been ascertained.
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The star had been sunbathing when she lost her balance and fell, hitting her head. She subsequently died of a stroke, reports the BBC.
Cilla Black
Her three sons Robert, Ben and Jack have made a public statement, thanking their mother's many fans and friends for their kind words.
"We are devastated by the sad loss of our mother, but have been deeply touched by all the kind messages of support from her friends, fans, the public and media," the statement reads.
"We would like to thank everyone, especially the people of Liverpool. The tributes and condolences have really helped us through these difficult times.
"The Spanish authorities have now told us we are able to bring Mum home, which we hope to do as quickly as possible.
"We would also like to thank all those involved for their assistance with this matter. We respectfully request for our continued privacy to grieve."
Cilla and her sons in 2014
Cilla was found by her eldest son Robert, who broke into her Marbella villa on Saturday night, when Cilla failed to return from an afternoon siesta.
Robert’s brothers then joined him in Spain, and on Tuesday afternoon, they returned to their mother’s house following the post-mortem. They have now been given permission to arrange for her body to be flown home.
Plenty of Cilla’s famous friends rushed to pay tribute to the star, when news of her death broke on Sunday morning.
Her close pal Paul O’Grady shared his sadness, stating: “It’s like the fun has gone, the lights are turned down now. That’s it. God, I’m going to miss Cilla. It doesn’t seem real.”
ITV are set to air a special tribute to the TV icon tonight (Tuesday 4 August), and the one-off show will feature a specially-recorded segment from Paul.
Cilla could also make a posthumous entry into the UK Singles Chart, as her track ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ is currently climbing, thanks to sales and online streams.