Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the iconic stars of their era, were known for their extravagant and over-the-top lifestyle, detailed in Roger Lewis's upcoming book, "Erotic Vagrancy."
When the glamorous couple traveled, it wasn't just with a suitcase or two – it was a full entourage. Their entourage included secretaries, makeup artists, housekeepers, a house photographer, tutors, bodyguards, nurses, business managers, chauffeurs, butlers, and even suitcase packers. During their visit to the Taramina Film Festival in 1967, they brought an astounding 156 suitcases.
At the Hotel Lancaster in Paris, the couple occupied an astonishing 21 rooms. Accompanied by their pet dogs, who dined from the menu in restaurants, Taylor and Burton were known for their lavish hotel suites in cities they never actually visited. In 1967, they purchased a luxury yacht called the Kisma, featuring seven double birth state rooms, three bathrooms, and an armory containing submachine guns.
Their penchant for opulence extended to their pets, with the actors furnishing their yacht with Chip and Dale furniture and rugs that had to be replaced every six months due to pet-related incidents. While filming "Where Eagles Dare" in London in 1968, they gave their dogs Curi, Georgia, and Ian their own boat near Tower Bridge, costing £1,000 a week, to bypass the UK's K9 quarantine restrictions.
Aware of their indulgent lifestyle, Taylor once confessed to having a lust for diamonds like a disease, while Burton humorously claimed, "I introduced Elizabeth to beer; she introduced me to Bulgari." The couple, whose torrid affair began during the filming of "Cleopatra" in 1963, married in 1964 and made 11 movies together, including the acclaimed "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
During the shoot of the latter, Taylor's dressing room was filled with bushels of white roses and lily of the valley, and printed instructions were distributed: "Don't greet the Burtons unless they greet you first." They adhered to specific work hours, never starting before 10:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m., arriving on set around 12:30. The film, released in 1967, earned Taylor $4 million in percentage profits, in addition to her $1.1 million salary, while Burton received a flat $750,000.
Despite their substantial earnings, the couple spent lavishly on artwork by renowned artists such as Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Degas, and Pissarro. Opulent baubles included a $1.1 million, 69.42-carat diamond and a 33-carat Krupp diamond that Taylor wore to a reception at Kensington Palace in 1971, prompting Princess Margaret to comment on its vulgarity.
However, Taylor's pill addiction and Burton's worsening alcoholism eventually led to the demise of their union. After ten years of marriage, they divorced in 1974, only to remarry the following year and divorce again less than 12 months later. Their tumultuous relationship and extravagant lifestyle remain a captivating chapter in Hollywood history.
