It has just been revealed that medication labelled as hydrocodone that was removed from Prince's home following his death actually contained dangerous amounts of the opioid fentanyl which was actually his cause of death. An investigation continues into how the singer came into possession of the drug in the days leading up to his passing.

PrincePrince could have been taking fentanyl without knowing

Pills that were labelled as hydrocodone were removed from Prince's Paisley Park home in Minneapolis following his death in April 2016. Only now a source close to the investigation has revealed to The Star Tribune that the drugs were not, in fact, hydrocodone at all, but another much stronger opiate-based drug known as fentanyl - the same drug which the coroner's office revealed the 'Purple Rain' singer overdosed on.

It's not clear whether Prince was knowingly taking fentanyl from a mislabelled container or if he believed he was taking hydrocodone, but authorities believe that the 57-year-old remained unaware of what exactly he was taking. It wouldn't be the first case of its kind, either, of people unknowingly buying counterfeit drugs in the Minnesota and North Dakota areas without a prescription.

More: Prince bought 'Purple Rain' house before death

Some reports reveal that fentanyl is 100 times stronger than morphine, while others say it is 50 times stronger than heroin. Without a doubt, however, it is true that no-one could have survived after taking the amount that Prince did regardless of the fact that he was very underweight at the time of his death.

Prince died on the morning of April 21st; his body was found in an elevator at his Paisley Park compound just one day ahead of his appointment with an opioid addiction doctor. He'd already collapsed several days beforehand on his private jet, and was eventually revived by paramedics. It is thought that he took the fentanyl 24 hours before he eventually died.