Inside Richard Burton’s Marriages: All About His Passionate Romances with Elizabeth Taylor to Sally Hay

Richard Burton was joined 5 times, spanning from his early 20s to his mid-50s.

The Welsh character was wed to his first wife, Sybil Williams — whom he met connected nan group of nan British movie The Last Days of Dolwyn — from 1949 to 1963. Their matrimony was Burton’s first and longest, but they divided erstwhile he met Elizabeth Taylor connected nan group of Cleopatra that year.

Burton and Taylor past began what would go 1 of Hollywood’s astir celebrated romances. The mates joined twice, erstwhile from 1964 to 1974 and again from 1975 to 1976. The brace besides worked connected a twelve films together, and ne'er genuinely near each other's lives.

In 1982, nan actors reconnected astatine Taylor’s 50th day party, and Burton shared that though they wouldn’t locomotion down nan aisle again, they remained successful love. “I bred her successful my bones, and I emotion her passionately,” he told PEOPLE. “She whitethorn wed personification else, and truthful whitethorn I, but we will ever beryllium drawn backmost to each other.”

Despite his relationship to Taylor, Burton joined 2 much times: first to British exemplary Suzy Hunt (née Miller) from 1976 to 1982, and past to Sally Hay from 1983 until his decease successful 1984.

Here’s everything to cognize astir Richard Burton’s spouses: wives Sybil Williams, Elizabeth Taylor, Suzy Hunt and Sally Hay.

Sybil Williams

Burton joined his first wife, chap Welsh autochthonal Sybil Williams, successful 1949.

They met connected nan group of nan British movie The Last Days of Dolwyn when Williams was 19 and Burton was 23, per The Hollywood Reporter.  It was Burton’s movie debut, and Williams’ first and only movie quality arsenic an extra, according to The Guardian.

The mates past acted together successful nan 1954 BBC power signaling of Under Milk Wood, and Williams appeared successful shape shows connected London’s West End. She yet stopped acting to support Burton’s career, per nan BBC. The 2 moved to Switzerland and past America aft welcoming their daughters, Kate and Jessica, successful nan mid-1950s.

On her determination to springiness up her profession for Burton’s, Williams told The New York Times successful 1994 that it didn’t consciousness for illustration a sacrifice.

“I loved theatre and what I was doing, but I surely wanted to spell arsenic a woman to America erstwhile Richard was offered a occupation there,” she said. “I knew that Richard would person an breathtaking profession and that it would beryllium fun, 2 Welsh kids connected nan Queen Mary, walking first-class.”

Their matrimony dissolved erstwhile Burton met Taylor connected nan group of nan 1963 film Cleopatra. They began a high-profile relationship, and Burton and Williams divided that twelvemonth — pinch Williams reportedly receiving a $1 cardinal colony and custody of their daughters, per nan BBC.

After their separation, Williams moved to New York, wherever she joined musician Jordan Christopher successful 1966 and they welcomed a girl together, Amy. Williams went connected to go a nightclub laminitis and theatre director.

She died astatine property 83 connected March 7, 2013.

Elizabeth Taylor

Burton joined Elizabeth Taylor doubly — erstwhile successful 1964 and again successful 1975.

The high-profile and tumultuous narration made headlines for decades. The 2 met connected nan group of Cleopatra successful Rome successful 1963 — Taylor arsenic Cleopatra and Burton arsenic Antony — while Taylor was still joined to her first husband, Eddie Fisher, and Burton was joined to Williams.

In nan three-part documentary Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar, a voiceover from an aged question and reply pinch Taylor describes nan infinitesimal she crossed paths pinch Burton. “The first time connected nan set, he was hungover and very susceptible and his hands were shaking,” she said. “He asked maine to clasp a java cup up to his lips, and I was gone.”

Burton thought nan same. After he was introduced to Taylor, he told British columnist Roderick Mann astir his feelings for her. “I was genuinely successful love. I felt I didn’t cognize nan meaning of nan connection before,” he said.

The actors divided from their respective spouses and joined connected Mar. 15, 1964, successful Montreal.  Their nationalist narration — characterized by an expensive and lavish lifestyle — made them 1 of Hollywood’s astir glamorous couples, contempt their disagreements.

After 10 years of marriage, they went their abstracted ways connected June 26, 1974, nan Los Angeles Times reported. “You can’t support clapping a mates of dynamite sticks together without expecting them to rustle up,” Burton told reporters.

The pursuing year, Burton and Taylor reconnected and remarried connected Oct. 10, 1975, but their 2nd matrimony only lasted a year. The mates divided again connected July 29, 1976, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite this, they remained successful each other’s lives, and Burton moreover attended Taylor’s 50th day statement successful 1982, which sparked rumors of different reunion, which he quickly unopen down.

The actors shared 1 girl together, Maria McKeown, whom Taylor was successful nan process of adopting earlier their marriage, and Burton adopted arsenic well.

Taylor opened up to Vanity Fair successful 2010 astir her lifelong emotion pinch Burton. “Attentive, loving — that was Richard, from those first moments successful Rome [filming Cleopatra], we were ever madly and powerfully successful love. We had much clip but not enough,” she said (via nan BBC).

Suzy Hunt

Burton crossed paths pinch his 3rd wife, British exemplary Suzy Hunt, successful 1976.

At nan time, Burton was still successful his 2nd matrimony to Taylor, and Hunt was joined to her husband, British Formula 1 driver John Hunt.

However, Burton and Hunt reportedly first locked eyes while going successful other directions connected a skis assistance astatine nan Gstaad edifice successful Switzerland.

Of their meeting, Burton later said, “I turned astir and location was this gorgeous creature, astir 9 feet tall. She could extremity a stampede,” per nan Daily Mail.

After splitting from their respective marriages, nan 50-year-old Burton and 26-year-old Hunt joined successful a civilian ceremonial successful Arlington, Va., connected Aug. 21, 1976, according to The New York Times.

Five years later, nan character and exemplary separated successful August 1981, per The New York Times, and officially divided successful February 1982.

Sally Hay

Burton met his 4th wife, Sally Hay, successful 1982 and stayed pinch her until his death.

The brace first met connected nan group of nan TV miniseries Wager while filming successful Vienna early that year, per UPI. Burton was successful nan starring role, and Hay worked down nan scenes connected set.

Burton and Hay joined nan pursuing twelvemonth connected July 3, 1983, successful nan statesmanlike suite of a Las Vegas hotel. At nan clip of nan wedding, Burton was connected a one-week break from a New York shape show tour, Private Lives, which he was starring successful alongside his erstwhile wife, Taylor.

In a September 2012 question and reply pinch The Telegraph, Hay recognized that it was a “bizarre situation” to beryllium touring pinch her hubby and his ex-wife, but shared that location were moments of normalcy, too.

“I did his make‑up, we would tally nan lines together earlier rehearsal. I watched from nan wings, later I sat successful nan dressing room and publication a book while listening to nan capacity connected a speaker,” she told nan outlet. “Then we would spell location together and I would navigator supper.”

Burton and Hay's narration only lasted astir 2 years — and joined for 1 — earlier nan character died astatine 58 of a cerebral hemorrhage connected Aug. 5, 1984.

Since his death, Hay has not remarried, but devoted her life to mounting up scholarships and memorials successful Burton’s name, including donating his diaries to Swansea University, per The Telegraph.

“My emotion for him has ne'er diminished,” she told nan publication successful November 2011.