Elizabeth Taylor may have had seven husbands, but there were four loves of her life: her children. When it came to Michael Wilding Jr., Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd and Maria Burton Carson, Taylor was “a mother above all else,” once saying that her children make her “the proudest of anything” she’s ever done, according the Elizabeth Taylor website .
William J. Mann, author of “How to Be a Movie Star: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood,” said that Christopher once told him , “My mother protected us from the circus.” He added, “That didn’t mean they didn’t see paparazzi.
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She was very protective of them.” Each of Taylor’s children grew up with a unique perspective on Hollywood life — some of which is shared in “ Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes ,” a documentary now streaming on Max . Before you hit play, get to know the people who made the starlet light up.
Michael Wilding Jr. (b. 1953) Born in Santa Monica, California, Michael Wilding Jr.
was Taylor’s first child. His father was Michael Wilding, Taylor’s second husband. Both the junior Michael and his younger brother, Christopher, followed their mother into show business, starting with cameos in her 1967 film “The Taming of the Shrew,” which also starred her then-husband Richard Burton, per IMDb .
Best known for appearances on soaps “Guiding Light” (1985-88) and “Dallas” (1989), Michael shares another credit with his mother, the TV movie “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1989), per IMDb . In 1970, Michael married Beth Clutter, with whom he welcomed daughter Laela (sometimes spelled Leyla), People reported. He welcomed his second daughter, Naomi , in 1975 with partner Johanna Lykke-Dahn while living on a commune with Beth and Laela.
In 1982, he married Brooke Palance, the daughter of Oscar-winner Jack Palance and actress Virginia Baker, per IMDb . They have one son together, Tarquin Wilding, who is also an actor. Christopher Wilding (b.
1955) Born in Los Angeles, Christopher Wilding is the second son of Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding. After appearing in “ The Taming of the Shrew ” with his brother and mother, he stayed in showbiz — but behind the scenes. A retired film editor, per The Hollywood Reporter , he worked on films including “Tombstone” (1993) and “The Shadow” (1994).
In 1981, Christopher married Aileen Getty (the granddaughter of oil magnate Jean Paul Getty), and the couple had two children, Caleb and Andrew, per Los Angeles Magazine . Today, he’s married to Margaret Carlton, a supervising sound editor know for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” (1991) and “The Serpent and the Rainbow” (1988). Their son, Lowell Wilding, was born in 1992, per IMDb .
In 2016, Christopher told The Hollywood Reporter that his mother allowed him and his brother to play with her Golden Globes when they were kids, but not her Oscars. After her death, Christopher took possession of Taylor’s first Oscar, sharing with the publication that he proudly displays the trophy (for 1961’s “Butterfield 8”) on a bookshelf in his living room. “I’m thrilled to have the Oscar,” he said.
“She was so beautiful, some people tended to overlook her great acting chops.” Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Todd (b. 1957) Liza Todd was Taylor’s first daughter.
Her father was Michael Todd, Taylor’s third husband, who died in a plane crash when Liza was an infant. After his death, Taylor married fellow actor Richard Burton, who formally adopted Liza, the Tampa Bay Times reported in 2010. In 1969, Liza appeared in an uncredited role in the Richard Burton-fronted film “Anne of the Thousand Days,” per IMDb .
Today, Liza is a horse sculptor who lives in upstate New York, per the New York Post . She was married to Hap Tivey from 1984 to 2003, and they have two children: Quinn and Rhys Tivey. Maria Burton (b.
1961) Born in Germany, Maria Burton was adopted at the age of 3. According to ABC News , Taylor was in the process of adopting Maria when she and her then-husband, Eddie Fisher, split up. When Taylor’s fifth husband, Richard Burton, entered the picture, he and Taylor completed the adoption.
From birth, Maria had hip problems, Wales Online reported, and went through nearly two dozen operations to correct the congenital defects. “I want her all the more because she’s ill,” Taylor reportedly said at the time. “Maybe I can do something to help.
” During her first marriage, which was to Steve Carson, she welcomed her daughter, Elizabeth (“Eliza”) Carson, born in 1982, News Pioneer reported. She later married Tom McKeown and had a son, Richard Carson, with him. They separated in 2004.
According to the Tampa Bay Times , Maria is now a clothing designer and philanthropist who lives in Idaho..
