Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton: Reflecting on Their Iconic First Wedding After 60 Years

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Revisiting Their Whirlwind Romance on the Anniversary of Their 1st Wedding

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Before Bennifer, Brangelina, and Tayvis, there was Liz and Dick. March 15, 2024 marks 60 years since the first wedding of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The couple captivated the world with their passionate love story, famously called "Le Scandale" by Burton. They first encountered each other at a Hollywood party in the '50s, but it was on the set of their 1963 film, Cleopatra, where their chemistry ignited.

Although both Taylor and Burton were married to other people at the time, their passionate affair in Italy quickly became a global phenomenon. Despite Taylor being married to Eddie Fisher and Burton to Sybil Williams, the public couldn't get enough of the scandalous duo. They were photographed kissing on yachts in the Mediterranean and strolling along Rome's Via Veneto. The public's obsession with their infidelity rivaled that of modern-day celebrity couples like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Burton, who had a history of affairs, once remarked to a publicist working on Cleopatra about his relationship with Taylor. He expressed surprise at her fame, jokingly saying, "How did I know the woman was so famous? She knocks Khrushchev off the front page." Their love affair and the media frenzy surrounding it captivated audiences worldwide, making them one of the most talked-about couples of their time.

Both Burton and Taylor eventually divorced their respective partners and tied the knot in Montreal on March 15, 1964, officiated by a Unitarian minister. Elizabeth was 32 years old, while Burton was 38, making it her fifth marriage and his second. Taylor's relationship with Burton was her second love triangle, as she first started dating Fisher while he was still married to her friend Debbie Reynolds.

In her 2022 authorized memoir titled Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamour of an Icon, it was revealed that the minister acknowledged the couple's perseverance in the face of media scrutiny during the ceremony. He praised them for enduring challenges in their love for each other.

Taylor looked stunning in a vibrant canary yellow chiffon babydoll dress designed by Irene Sharaff for her wedding. She accessorized with an exquisite 18-carat Bulgari emerald brooch gifted by Burton during filming. Her hair was elegantly styled by Ronald DeMann into a braided crown updo adorned with a hairpiece featuring white hyacinths. Lilies gracefully trailed down her back.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Revisiting Their Whirlwind Romance on the Anniversary of Their 1st Wedding

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton tied the knot in a small and intimate ceremony. The only attendees were Taylor's parents, Francis and Sara, and Burton's stylist, Bob Wilson. The short service lasted only 10 minutes, concluding with Burton expressing his happiness by stating, "Elizabeth Burton and I are very, very happy." Taylor also shared her joy, declaring, "I'm so happy you can't believe it. This marriage will last forever."

Taylor's hope for forever didn't quite pan out. In their first 10 years of marriage, the couple had a tumultuous relationship. Taylor even mentioned that Burton would sometimes enjoy losing his temper.

She described their arguments as intense screaming matches, with Burton being compared to a small atom bomb.

Burton agreed with his wife, saying that they often play up their arguments for the public. He mentioned to the Daily Mirror, "We sometimes argue just for fun. I might call her ugly, she might call me talentless, and people get a kick out of it. But I enjoy arguing with Elizabeth, except when she's naked."

Despite announcing their divorce in 1974, the couple surprised everyone by getting remarried less than a year later in Botswana. Taylor wrote in her diary about the special moment, "We said our vows again, looked into each other's eyes, and felt like we were back where we truly belonged. We have always belonged together."

15th March 1964: British-born Elizabeth Taylor sits on a sofa kissing her fifth husband, Welsh actor Richard Burton, while he leans over her on their first wedding day. Taylor is wearing a yellow gown and has flowers in her hair. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

On the 15th of March 1964, we see British actress Elizabeth Taylor sharing a sweet moment with her fifth husband, Welsh actor Richard Burton. The photo captures the couple on their first wedding day, with Taylor donning a beautiful yellow gown. The love between them is evident as they embrace each other on the sofa. The image is a glimpse into the glamorous and romantic world of Hollywood icons.

Burton and Taylor welcomed Maria as their adopted daughter in 1961. Even though they appeared in 11 films together and spent nearly two decades as a couple, their relationship came to an end in 1976. Throughout her life, Taylor got married a total of eight times. Besides Burton and Fisher, she was also married to Conrad Hilton Jr. from 1950 to 1952 and Michael Wilding from 1952 to 1957. Taylor and Wilding had two sons, Michael Jr. and Christopher. After Wilding, she married Mike Todd in 1958 and they had a daughter named Liza before Todd passed away in a plane crash less than a year later. Following her second divorce from Burton, Taylor tied the knot with John Warner in 1976 and Larry Fortensky in 1991.

In her autobiography, Taylor revealed that despite the end of their romance, she had no regrets about her love story with Burton. She wrote, “Even though there were rough times, I wouldn’t give up one minute of my time with Richard Burton.”

Editor's P/S:

The whirlwind romance