Margot Robbie wears diamond gifted by Richard Burton
Amelia Jones
A-lister Margot Robbie has honoured a Welsh Hollywood legend by wearing a diamond which was once gifted to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton.
Robbie appeared at the Los Angeles premiere of Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” wearing the diamond necklace which was given to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton for her 40th birthday in 1972.
The necklace, known as the Taj Mahal diamond, was given by Burton to Taylor during their celebrated and turbulent marriage.
The diamond represents more than old Hollywood excess. It reflects the extraordinary rise of Burton, born Richard Jenkins in Port Talbot, who grew up as the son of a miner before becoming one of the most celebrated actors of his generation.
Renowned for his Shakespearean performances and distinctive voice, Burton never lost his Welsh identity, even at the height of international fame.
At the time, the jewel reportedly cost around $350,000, which is a staggering sum equivalent to approximately $3.6 million today. It quickly became a symbol of one of cinema’s most famous and passionate love stories.
Burton and Taylor’s legendary, tumultuous romance began in 1962 on the set of Cleopatra, while they were both married to other people.
Known for their intense passion, lavish lifestyle, and public fighting, the couple married twice – from 1964 to 1974 and again from 1975 to 1976 – and remained deeply connected until Burton’s death in 1984.
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Speaking about the necklace, Robbie described its emotional resonance, saying: “This is Elizabeth Taylor’s necklace. It’s the Taj Mahal diamond, Richard Burton gave it to her. And I know there’s something kind of Cathy and Heathcliff about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to me.”
She added that the jewel felt like “the real life equivalent of the Heart of the Ocean…it’s got a lot of romantic history.”
By wearing the diamond, Robbie has reintroduced a new generation to the legacy of a Welsh icon, and to a love story that remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring legends.
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