Elizabeth Taylor is a gorgeous Hollywood legend who is well-known for her activism, industry knowledge, and attractiveness. She was the first celebrity to launch a fragrance empire, and she kept to her ideas until the end.
Her streak of headline-grabbing romances, in which she married eight times — twice to the same man — was obvious. Taylor had four children and 10 grandchildren from her several marriages, some of them went on to become artists like her.
However, unlike the rest of the world, many of them did not see the ‘A Place in the Sun’ heroine as a Hollywood superstar or style icon. Instead, they remembered her as the ‘loving, cuddly, wonderful’ grandmother who was always happy to see her grandchildren.
Her grandchildren remember her as a woman who wanted to make the world a better place by eliminating injustices. Laela, one of her granddaughters, would say:
‘She was that person who recognized injustice and began to speak out about it and never stopped.’
Laela Wilding, Taylor’s son Michael Wilding Jr.’s daughter, has nothing but fond memories of her grandmother. Despite her death years ago, she remembers Taylor as an affectionate woman and a matriarch who continues to be an example to many women around the world.
Laela also talks highly of the actress from ‘The Girl Who Had Everything,’ recalling how her grandma gave her a box of party dresses that she frequently wore to dinner.
Her grandma, on the other hand, gave her a necklace she bought herself when she became independent. Taylor also gifted Laela another jewelry on her wedding day, which she thought was unique. She remembered:
‘Michael Wilding, our grandfather, had given it to her as a present. So that was extremely valuable to me.’
Laela now works in Portland, Oregon as a yoga instructor and graphic designer. She also works closely with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, like her grandmother did during her time in the position.
Naomi deLuce Wilding, the actress’s second granddaughter, admired her grandma as well. Despite the fact that she has no personal contact with Taylor as an actress, she admires her commitment to activism.
‘I recall sitting on the floor of her dressing room, watching her get ready — just [seeing] this kind of change take place. Just because someone is famous doesn’t mean they can’t also be a warm, squishy, delicious grandmother who always welcomed us in.’ She told Today about it.
Today, Naomi is an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and runs the Wilding Cran Gallery in Los Angeles alongside her husband.
Elizabeth Carson is just as much Taylor’s grandchild as Laela and Naomi, despite not having Taylor’s blood in her veins. Maria, Taylor’s adopted daughter, has a daughter named Carson.
Carson, like the rest of the legend’s grandkids, has vivid memories of her grandma. According to Hollywood Life, she recalls her grandmother doing her cosmetics and hair for prom, saying:
‘She did my hair and cosmetics for my junior and senior proms.’
Carson now works as a social worker in New York, in addition to being an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Taylor’s first grandson, Caleb Wilding, was adopted by her son Christopher Wilding and his wife Aileen Getty. Following multiple miscarriages, Christopher and Getty decided to pursue adoption.
Getty became pregnant shortly after adopting Caleb, and this time she carried the pregnancy to term, giving birth to a handsome baby called Andrew Wilding.
Caleb has managed to avoid the limelight, and despite rumours that he is a motorbike enthusiast, little more is known about him.
Andrew, on the other hand, followed in his grandmother’s footsteps in filmmaking but enjoyed the behind-the-scenes labor. Many people today know him for his work in cinematography and producing.
Tivey is the superstar’s sixth grandchild, born to Hap Tivey and Liza Todd Burton. Tivey, like his cousins, has only fond recollections of his grandmother.
Tivey, on the other hand, recalls her as a carefree spirit with whom he could lie in bed in their pajamas and watch movies. According to The List, he contemplated:
‘I remember going to her house and jumping into bed with her, wearing my pajamas and eating [peanut butter and jelly] sandwiches while watching ‘Law & Order.”
As a co-trustee of his grandmother’s foundation, he works alongside many of his cousins. He can see how Taylor’s project has impacted people’s lives, he says. Tivey makes a living as an artist.
Tarquin Wilding is the seventh of Taylor’s grandchildren and the brother of Laela and Naomi. He, like his grandmother, works in the film industry as a passionate filmmaker.
He remembers his grandmother’s enormous generosity and is grateful for the opportunity to carry on her heritage. According to The List, he said:
‘I often reflect on how fortunate I am to have been born into a family of such eccentric, kind, and sensitive individuals.’
Lowell Wilding is awestruck by his grandmother’s legacy and accomplishments during her lifetime. As a result, he decided to create the Elizabeth Taylor Archive in order to preserve her memory and legacy.
Rhys, Taylor’s ninth grandchild, has followed in her footsteps and is active in the performing arts as well.
He became a trumpeter, vocalist, and songwriter after earning a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
He’s also taught yoga and music to middle school students in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, among other places.
He appreciates his grandmother’s heritage and delights, like her, in ‘acknowledging the soul of every individual… and giving them with great respect,’ regardless of “race, culture, or class.’ He’s also a vegan who is dedicated to lowering his carbon footprint.