George Michael death
George Michael's funeral is yet to take place following his death on Christmas Day REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Pop legend George Michael died of natural causes, it was announced on Tuesday ( 7 March). According to Darren Salter, senior coroner for Oxfordshire, the performer he had a dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver.

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The Fastlove hitmaker passed away at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day. He was aged 53.

Salter said in a statement that "the investigation is being discontinued and there is no need for an inquest or any further enquiries".

A dilated cardiomyopathya is a disease of the heart that causes the muscle to become stretched and thin. As a result, the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle is unable to pump blood around the body efficiently.

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle which is usually caused by a virus.

The result means that the star's family can now push ahead with making the necessary arrangements for his funeral after waiting over ten weeks. An initial post-mortem examination was "inconclusive" so toxicology tests were run on his organs.

Back in February, his former Wham! bandmate Andrew Ridgeley revealed that the agonising delay, had robbed him of closure, telling the Mirror: "It's ­difficult for me. It's difficult for everyone. It's a limbo period and we need to be able to move on."

The natural death ruling also puts an end to the speculation that drugs played a key role in his passing. Back in January, Michael's childhood friend Andros Georgiou suggested an accidental drug overdose that took his life. Appearing on the Victoria Derbyshire programme, Andros Georgiou said the star had started taking "hard drugs" in the days leading up to his death after being "dragged back into the dark side".

It had been widely reported that Micheal suffered lung problems ever since contracting pneumonia in 2011. In his final interview, the Careless Whispers crooner revealed that he almost died from after he collapsed before a gig in Austria during his Symphonica orchestral tour.

"Yes, it almost killed me, " he told Ham&High. "On a subconscious level it was very frightening and I'll probably never feel quite as safe again. But oh my God, I was just so grateful to come out alive and very happy to get back to my home in London."