The Vatican condemned the couple's affair which began while they were both married to other people- they called it 'erotic vagrancy'. Burton and Taylor's relationship was widely publicised in the press before, during and after their ten year relationship.
There was a lot of interest surrounding "the most famous film star in the world and the man many believed to be the finest classical actor of his generation." (Wikipedia)
The relationship between the two was portrayed in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and was liked to their marriage in real life. Burton was not as generous as other about Taylor's beauty when he said; " the most beautiful woman in the world is absolute nonsense. She has wonderful eyes, but she has a double chin and an overdeveloped chest, and she's rather short in the leg." (Wikipedia)
Taylor decided that she wanted to focus more on her family than she did her career. She gained weight in an effort not to receive film roles. After they got divorced, they remarried in a private ceremony in Chobe National Park, Kasane, Botswana.
The pair then adopted a daughter from Germany called Maria in August 1961.
They separated not long after and divorced once again in 1976.
Source: Wikipedia.
Tagged in Elizabeth Taylor Richard Burton