One fan has already stopped by to place flowers under a tree at the gate, and pay their respects.

11:44 AM PT -- A source close to Betty tells TMZ ... she didn't have any sudden illness, nor was she battling any particular ailment. We're told she's believed to have died from natural causes.

Emergency responders, including police, showed up at her home Friday morning as a standard procedure. As we told you back in 2020, Betty rarely left her home once the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Beloved actress, comedian and American icon Betty White has died, just weeks before a milestone birthday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Betty passed away at her home just before 9:30 AM Friday.

A trailblazer and pioneer in media, Betty had the longest running career for any woman in TV prior to her death -- starring in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting way back in 1939.