Elizabeth Taylor had one of the most tragic love stories with Richard Burton, marked by scandal, fights and a turbulent marriage.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleDame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, better known as Elizabeth Taylor, was one of the most prominent actresses of the 1950s. She began her career as a child actress and went on to become an iconic name in Hollywood. She then became one of the highest-paid movie stars in the 1960s and was ranked seventh on the list of greatest female screen legends.
Apart from her career, Elizabeth’s personal life was the subject of constant media attention as she was married eight times to seven different men. Out of all her relationships, Elizabeth’s scandalous affair, followed by a tumultuous marriage and divorce from Richard Burton, is still one of the most revered topics of the glamour world. Their affair was so scandalous that even the Vatican condemned it.
It was at a Hollywood house party in 1953 when Richard and Elizabeth first crossed paths. He was enamoured by her beauty, went ahead and whispered into her ears, ‘Has anybody ever told you that you’re a very pretty girl?’ Elizabeth was already at the peak of her career and the most famous star of the century. She was known for her smouldering sensuality and beauty. Taken aback by Richard’s pickup line, Elizabeth completely ignored him.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were supposed to shoot the first scene of their film, Cleopatra, on January 22, 1962. However, the night before the shoot, Richard had drunk heavily, and as a result, he was in a miserable state during the shooting. He got a cup of coffee, but he could not bring the cup to his lips because his hands were shaking so badly. Elizabeth helped him drink his coffee, and that was the moment she fell in love with Richard.
But the problem in their relationship was that both of them were married. Elizabeth was married to singer, Eddie Fisher, and Richard to actress, Sybil Burton, with whom he shared two daughters. It is stated that Elizabeth’s husband, Fisher, stopped coming to the set because her flirtation with Richard was too obvious.
Despite being married, Elizabeth and Richard made appearances together. But a single photo of them kissing on a yacht in the Mediterranean exposed their scandalous affair. It was one of the biggest scandals of the year, marking the beginning of a relationship that was more like an obsession. The scandal was so consuming that even the Vatican weighed in. In an open letter in Vatican City’s weekly newspaper, Elizabeth was charged with “erotic vagrancy” because she was sleeping with Burton while still married to Fisher.
No moral policing could stop Elizabeth and Richard, who were head-over-heels in love with each other. They got divorced from their respective spouses and married each other in 1964. Richard was Elizabeth’s fifth husband, and she became his second wife. They starred together in many films and made millions.
Elizabeth and Richard were like magnets as she once stated, ‘alternately pulling toward each other and, inexorably, pushing away’. They craved each other one minute and couldn’t bear each other’s presence the other minute. Their marriage was fuelled by explosive fights, temper and heavy drinking.
After every fight, instead of apologising, Richard bought diamonds for Elizabeth, including the famous 69-carat Taylor-Burton diamond. But no amount of luxurious purchases could save their falling marriage. After ten years of marriage, Elizabeth and Richard got divorced in 1974. During her divorce, she said, “I love Richard with every fibre of my soul, but we can't be together.”
Within 16 months of their divorce, Elizabeth and Richard married again. The reports at that time stated that the couple remarried after a cancer scare made Elizabeth realise that she couldn’t face it without Richard. However, within a year, they couldn’t withstand the tension and divorced again.
Despite parting ways, Elizabeth and Richard remained emotionally connected. In August 1984, he called her and said he wanted to ‘come home’ to her. Three days later, on August 4, 1984, 58-year-old Richard died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage. When Elizabeth got to know about Richard’s passing, she fainted and was inconsolable after regaining consciousness. Elizabeth was asked to stay away from Richard’s funeral because his family was worried that her presence would spark a media frenzy. After the funeral was over, Elizabeth went to Richard’s grave at 4 am and sobbed uncontrollably.
Days before his death, Richard wrote Elizabeth a final love letter, asking whether they could give love another chance, but she received it only after his funeral. She kept the letter near her bedside table for 30 years and was buried with it when she died in 2011.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s love story has survived scandals, fights and a broken marriage. She believed that a third marriage with him was inevitable. But it never happened.
Also Read: Meet Jason Momoa's 2 Kids, Lola And Nakoa-Wolf, Accompanied The Actor To 'Supergirl' London Event