The Welsh actor met Elizabeth while they filmed Cleopatra together in Italy. Both were married at the time, but they carried on affair, and after rumors (and photos) began circulating in the press, both stars were criticized by the Vatican for "erotic vagrancy." In March 1964, Elizabeth was granted a divorce from Eddie Fisher, and nine days later, she married Richard Burton in a private ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal. Richard also adopted Liza Todd and Maria Burton, a German orphan Elizabeth was in the process of adopting while she was still married to Eddie.
The media dubbed the couple "Liz and Dick." They went on to star in 11 movies together and became well-known for their lavish lifestyle and shared love of furs, diamonds, and travel. They got divorced in June 1974, but quickly reconciled and remarried — this time in Botswana in October 1975. Despite trying to give things another shot, they divorced for a second time in July 1976. Richard seemed to be the real love of Elizabeth's life; after his death in 1984, she confessed that after him, the men in her life "were just there to hold the coat, to open the door," adding, "All the men after Richard were really just company."
