Elizabeth Taylor was a captivating and beautiful artist who first lit up the silver screen at age 17. Even at this young age, she described herself as an incurable romantic. Her mother used to joke that the first thing Elizabeth saw after opening her eyes was an engagement ring. Over the course of her life, she married eight times. Many of these romances were passionate and intense, and a few of her ex-husbands remained her friends until her death, but none gave her the lifelong connection she desperately desired.

Conrad “Nicky” Hilton

Elizabeth’s religious upbringing was part of the reason she believed marriage was the natural result of being in love. She searched for a lasting relationship throughout her life. Her early engagements to football player Glenn Davis and billionaire Bill Pauly never resulted in a wedding. When Elizabeth was only 18, she found the first man she believed she could spend the rest of her life with: Conrad “Nicky” Hilton.

Elizabeth was married to Conrad Nicky Hilton from May 1950 to January 1951. Conrad was the son of hotel mogul Conrad Hilton Sr. He and Elizabeth met in October 1949 at the Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles. They were married on May 6, 1950, at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills.

Six hundred guests attended the wedding, and 3,000 fans stood outside. MGM paid for her $3,500 Helen Rose wedding dress because her film *Father of the Bride* was about to be released. Conrad didn’t remarry until 26 years after their divorce, in 1977.

Michael Wilding

Elizabeth and Michael Wilding were married from February 1952 to January 1957. He was 20 years older than she was and had also been previously divorced. Despite the age gap, the couple decided to marry. For her second wedding, Elizabeth wore a suit with a fitted jacket, a large white collar, and a knee-length flared skirt, once again designed by Helen Rose.

Her engagement ring was a fashionable sapphire. During her marriage to Michael, Elizabeth became a mother for the first time. The couple had two sons together: Michael Jr. and Christopher. As Elizabeth’s career continued to grow, the demands of fame made their relationship more difficult, and they eventually divorced.

Mike Todd

Elizabeth and Mike Todd were married from February 1957 to March 1958. He was a major film producer who won an Oscar for *Around the World in 80 Days*. Their third wedding was a more intimate ceremony in Acapulco. Elizabeth wore a light, hooded organza dress, and her engagement ring featured a 29-carat diamond.

Elizabeth became pregnant with her third child, a daughter, only a month after divorcing Michael Wilding. She needed someone to care for and to help her through this new chapter, and Mike stepped in to fill that role. He reportedly lavished her with extravagant gifts. He once created a backyard display of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry for his jewelry-loving wife and even attempted to have a meal flown in from Paris.

Mike Todd tragically died in a plane crash in 1958. Elizabeth was supposed to travel with him but caught a cold and stayed home instead. That split-second decision may have saved her life. She never fully recovered from the loss and later said that her marriage to Mike was the happiest of the eight. He was reportedly one of her three great loves, along with Richard Burton and diamonds.

Eddie Fisher

Elizabeth and Eddie Fisher were married from May 1959 to March 1964. Devastated by Mike Todd’s death, she didn’t immediately seek out a new love. Instead, she reached out to her close friend Debbie Reynolds and Debbie’s husband, Eddie Fisher. Eddie, a popular singer, had been best man at Elizabeth’s wedding to Mike Todd.

When Elizabeth and Eddie reconnected, they immediately noticed a strong physical attraction. They began an affair soon afterward. Eddie divorced Debbie and married Elizabeth after finishing a run at the Tropicana. Their wedding ceremony was one of the more low-key events in Elizabeth’s life.

It was described as a typical two-rabbi Jewish ceremony. They were married under a chuppah and celebrated by stomping on a wine glass. Elizabeth wore a green silk dress with a hood and long sleeves. It was one of the few weddings for which she didn’t receive an engagement ring; instead, Eddie gave her a 40-carat bracelet made with 50 diamonds.

Elizabeth had high hopes for this relationship. She said her honeymoon with Eddie would last for 40 years. This proved untrue; they divorced five years later.

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Richard Burton

Elizabeth was married to Richard Burton from March 1964 to June 1974, and then again from October 1975 to August 1976. While still married to Eddie Fisher, she reconnected with Richard on the set of *Cleopatra*. They had briefly met a decade earlier at a party. Elizabeth claimed it was love at first sight.

Both noticed a strong mutual attraction and an undercurrent of passion. When their eyes met again after so many years, they quickly fell in love. The moment they first kissed on set, it reportedly went on so long and with such intensity that the director had to step in between them. Their first wedding took place in Montreal.

Elizabeth wore a canary-yellow dress designed by Irene Sharaff. Richard proposed with a Bulgari brooch, and he famously joked that the only Italian word Elizabeth knew was “Bulgari.” Flowers were central to the ceremony as well, with hyacinths and lilies woven into an extravagant flower crown. The couple were known for public displays of affection.

Their love was so public and extravagant that they soon became one of the most iconic power couples of the 20th century. They were passionate lovers who also fought fiercely. After five years of marriage, Richard gave Elizabeth an Asscher-cut Krupp diamond. The extravagant 33-carat stone was eventually renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, and she reportedly wore it almost every day.

They also worked together several times. In 1973, they starred in the TV movie *Divorce His, Divorce Hers*. A year later, they divorced. They remarried in 1975 but were together for less than a year.

Their second ceremony was held by the Chobe River in Botswana. Elizabeth wore a tie-dye dress designed by Gina Fratini. Days before his death in 1984, Richard wrote Elizabeth a final letter, asking her to give their relationship one last chance. Elizabeth later said they loved each other even when they couldn’t live together and claimed she loved Richard Burton her entire adult life.

John Warner

Elizabeth and John Warner were married from December 1976 to November 1982. John was the first politician Elizabeth ever fell for. He was a former U.S. Secretary of the Navy and later served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia for five terms. They met when he escorted her at a dinner for Queen Elizabeth II in Washington, D.C.

The couple stood on opposite sides of the political spectrum—he was a Republican, and she was a Democrat. Despite their differences, they connected over shared interests, including a love of horses. Their wedding was one of the simplest and most intimate ceremonies of Elizabeth’s life. They were married on his farm in Virginia.

Elizabeth wore a violet cashmere dress, a tweed-and-fur coat, and a matching turban. Their relationship wasn’t known for fiery passion or public drama. John described Elizabeth as fascinating and said she was a great conversationalist. The pair remained friends until her death in 2011.

Larry Fortensky

Elizabeth and Larry Fortensky were married from October 1991 to October 1996. Larry had the least glamorous occupation of all her husbands: he was a construction worker. They met while both were in rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1988. Elizabeth was trying to overcome an addiction to prescription medication, while Larry was battling alcoholism.

Larry said he knew who Elizabeth was but couldn’t remember watching any of her films. He found her funny and sweet, and there was an immediate physical attraction. The feeling was mutual, and Elizabeth married him soon afterward. The wedding cost nearly $2 million, but her $25,000 dress was reportedly a gift from designer Valentino.

They were married at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, and Elizabeth walked down the aisle with her eldest son. The media was just as fascinated by this final marriage as by her previous seven. Reports claim that one photographer even parachuted onto the ranch trying to get a single picture of the event. The frenzy didn’t die down once they were married.

Anyone associated with Liz Taylor remained a target for tabloids, magazines, and paparazzi for years. The spotlight eventually proved too much for Larry to handle. He cherished their memories together, but they both decided it was best to go their separate ways. Larry, like some of her other ex-husbands, remained her friend and received $800,000 after her death.

Now it’s time to hear from you. Do you think any of Elizabeth’s marriages could have lasted under different circumstances? Let us know in the comment section below. Before you go, make sure you give this video a like and subscribe to Facts First for more. Click on the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest content.