Elizabeth Taylor brings to mind a handful of sentiments.

Most celebrate her being an icon of the Hollywood film industry.

Others recall her scintillating affairs as a famous lover and wife whomarried eight timesin total.

Few touch on the fact that she was a hugely devoted mother to her children.

Off-screen, in her unseen role as a mom, Taylor had her hands full with four children.

Separated by paternity, her four kids varied in age, background, and personality.

Michael Jr. Wilding

Michael Howard Wilding, called Michael Jr., was Taylor’s first child.

He was the son of her second husband, Michael Wilding, a British actor.

He was born on January 6, 1953, in Santa Monica, California.

She wanted her family to be raised off-camera and away from prying eyes.

However, that doesn’t mean that they never saw the media.

Wilding Jr., though, was kept largely out of the limelight.

Christopher Wilding

Christopher Wilding is Taylor’s second son with Michael Wilding Senior.

This dynamic meant she tended to be the children’s friend more than a disciplinarian parent.

She was more of the pal than the disciplinarian."

A film editor, photographer Wilding also has assistant directed films like “Tombstone” in 1993.

Unfortunately, they divorced 8 years later in 1989.

Christopher Wilding went on to marry Margaret Carlton, with whom he has one child.

Elizabeth Liza Frances

Eventually, Taylor and her husband drifted apart, divorcing in January 1957.

On August 6, 1957, Taylor’s first daughter was born.

This time around, it was much harder for her to shelter her child from the media.

Todd was known for seeking out publicity with his stunts.

However, Liza likely saw how much the industry required her mother to be away from her family.

Mann notes, “There were a lot of nannies and assistants to take care of the kids.”

(viaABC News).

Taylor’s daughter eventually shied away from the spotlight and became a sculptor in upstate New York.

Maria Burton Carson

Taylor’s second daughter, and fourth child, is adopted.

Mike Todd died in a devastating plane crash when Liza was just over 6 months old.

Distraught, Taylor was comforted by a friend of the couple, Eddie Fisher.

Soon, an affair began for the widowed Taylor and still-married Fisher.

The relationship was quite scandalous, and labeled Taylor a “homewrecker.”

Yet the pair would eventually marry in 1959.

Allegedly, after her adoption, they learned she had a genetic defect in her hips.

Maria underwent almost two dozen surgeries to correct the issue.

With her first husband, Steve Carson, they opened a talent agency.

Unfortunately, the marriage went south, causing Maria to flee to Taylor’s home with her 2-year-old son.

Today, Maria lives in Idaho, far from Hollywood’s prying eyes.

Elizabeth Taylor, homewrecker or homemaker?

(viaElizabeth Taylor).

Husbands and men walked in and out of Taylor’s life, but her children remained by her side.

Sadly, the four were together again at Taylor’s funeral in 2011.

As were some of hergrandchildren, who went on to have her great-grandchildren.

The Taylor legacy continues to live on through her children.