Linda McCartney, the American photographer who broke a generation of teen-age girls' hearts when she married Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, died of cancer at the age of 56. Linda McCartney died while on vacation in Santa Barbara, California. Her husband and children were with her. "The blessing was that the end came quickly and she didn't suffer," a statement from Paul McCartney's office.

Two days before her death, Linda and Paul had been horseback riding, one of her main passions, the statement said. The couple announced in December 1995 that Linda McCartney, a keen vegetarian who marketed her own meat-free dishes, was being treated for breast cancer. The treatment at first appeared to be working well, but in March the cancer was found to have spread to her liver. Paul asked that people wanting to send flowers should give a donation to charities involved in cancer research, animal welfare, "or - best of all - the tribute that Linda herself would like best: Go veggie." Linda Eastman was already acclaimed for her moody, gritty photographs when she married Paul McCartney in 1969. They had three children, Mary, Stella and James.

The McCartneys largely avoided the celebrity lifestyle and lived quietly in remote homes in southern England and Scotland, saying they wanted a normal upbringing for their children and Heather, Linda McCartney's daughter from her first marriage to geophysicist John Melvyn See. Many activists hailed her support for their causes. "Linda was always upbeat about our work against cruelty and we'll fight harder in her name," Dan Mathews, a campaign director for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Linda understood the power of the fork." Born into a wealthy family, Linda Eastman grew up in Scarsdale, N.Y. Her father, Lee Eastman, was a lawyer; her mother died in a plane crash when she was 19. After majoring in art history at the University of Arizona, she moved to New York City at the age of 21, becoming a receptionist at Town and Country magazine. A lucky break enabled her to photograph the Rolling Stones, and she was asked to capture other rock groups on camera. Soon she was dating celebrities, including actor Warren Beatty and a manager of The Who, Chris Stamp. During a trip to London in May 1967 she met Paul at the launch of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album. They married in London two years later. When she joined her husband's new band, Wings, in 1972, as a keyboard player, she was ridiculed for her lack of musicality. In 1972, the McCartneys were fined for possessing marijuana and in another incident, in 1984, they both admitted carrying the drug. A vegetarian long before it became fashionable, Linda McCartney lent her name to a range of frozen dishes and in 1991 published a cookbook. In 1997, she became Lady Linda when her husband was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Daughter Stella was appointed head designer at the Paris fashion house Chloe in 1997. Speaking about his wife's fight against cancer in an earlier interview, Paul McCartney called her "the most positive person on earth." Asked how they remained so close, he replied, "I guess it's because we just adore each other."