Thirteen days after her feeding tube was removed, Terri Schiavo died yesterday in a hospice in Pinellas Pines, Florida, aged 41, with her husband Michael at her side. Conor O'Clery, North America Editor, reports from New York.
Her death came 15 years after she suffered brain damage, and ended an epic legal battle that involved the White House, the US Congress and the US Supreme Court.
A lawyer for Michael Schiavo said that Terri Schiavo died a "peaceful death with dignity in a loving setting which was her husband's overriding concern".
Within hours, however, the recriminations started.
House majority leader Tom DeLay said the judges responsible for turning down the parents' appeals to save Terri would "have to answer for their behaviour".
The Republican Congressman said: "We will look at an arrogant and out-of-control judiciary that thumbs its nose at Congress and the president."
The Vatican said the death of Ms Schiavo had been caused by an unacceptable "violation of the sacred nature of life" and the circumstances "have rightly shocked consciences".
Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, head of the Vatican's office for sainthood, called the removal of the feeding tube "an attack against God".
Fr Frank Pavone, a spiritual adviser to Ms Schiavo's parents, emerged from the hospice to accuse Michael Schiavo of "heartless cruelty" to the very last moment in keeping family members out.
"This is not only a death, with all the sadness that brings, but this is a killing" and "an atrocity", added Fr Pavone, who heads the Priests for Life group. Mr Schiavo's lawyer, George Felos, accused Fr Pavone of using "harsh and hateful words" to promote a pro-life ideology.
It was "very disquieting to hear the priest issue venom and make extremely harsh statements about Mr Schiavo", he said.
Mr Felos disclosed that just before Terri Schiavo died, her brother, Bobby Schindler, asked to stay in the room with a police officer, but Michael Schiavo, who has been living in the hospice for the last two weeks, refused.
Ms Schiavo's body was removed to a medical examiner's office for an autopsy agreed to by Michael Schiavo earlier this week to determine the extent of her brain damage and if she had been abused, as the parents have suggested.
The feud between the parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and their son-in-law continued after Ms Schiavo's death.
Mr Schiavo has decided to have his wife's body cremated and buried in the Schiavo plot in Pennsylvania.
The Schindlers, who are Catholic, want a funeral Mass and burial near their home in Florida.
Terri Schiavo's death became inevitable when the US Supreme Court refused to hear a final appeal on Wednesday evening.
President George Bush urged the country to honour her memory by working to "build a culture of life".
The essence of civilisation was that "the strong have a duty to protect the weak", he said.
In cases where there are serious doubts and questions, the presumption should be in favour of life, he said.
Outside the hospice in Pinellas Pines, many activists keeping vigil burst into tears on hearing the news, and later held a religious service.
Florida governor Jeb Bush said that millions around the state and world would be "deeply grieved" by Ms Schiavo's death.
He expressed condolences with the Schindlers but did not include Michael Schiavo in his remarks.