Beyond the Fairytale Ending
Forty two per cent of UK marriages end in divorce, yet weddings still hold an irresistible grip on the cultural imagination. We cling to the narrative that there’s “one person out there for everyone,” and once you find them, happiness will follow until death. But what about those who collect multiple marriages? The tales are often tinged with glamour or notoriety – from Elizabeth Taylor’s eight weddings (two to Richard Burton) to Henry VIII’s bloody history.
To be married and divorced multiple times requires a curious mix of optimism and realism. Saying “until death do us part” while four ex spouses are still alive suggests hope in love’s redemptive power – and awareness that it may fail again.
Serial spouses might be seduced by the romance of marriage yet remain clear eyed about its limits. Many, especially women, have grown up believing marriage is a crowning achievement, despite research like Paul Dolan’s 2019 findings that unmarried, child free women are often happier and healthier.
Marriage isn’t just emotional; it’s incentivised. Tax breaks in the UK and access to a partner’s medical insurance in the US make it financially strategic. Carys, a 73 year old divorce attorney on her eighth marriage, admits it’s “something you do to make yourself financially and emotionally safe if things go south.”
For others, multiple marriages are a private matter. Anita, married six times, keeps her past hidden except from her priest and sixth husband. Public judgment paints serial brides and grooms as unstable, but in truth, they often display remarkable courage refusing to stay in bad relationships out of fear of solitude. And they hold onto an extraordinary hope: to walk down the aisle again, even after heartbreak.
“My Sixth and Cheapest Wedding Was the Happiest”
Lacey, 39 (married six times)
“I’ve done his’n’hers matching outfits. I’ve done exotic location weddings. Three big white dress weddings. Sometimes I think the planning was an escape from marrying the wrong person.”
At 18, she wore her graduation dress to her first wedding. She knew it wasn’t love, but she craved being “someone’s wife.” Divorce came quickly – her first husband cheated – and a divorce attorney family friend taught her: “The partner who files first wins the case.”
By 27, she had three divorces behind her. Her fourth wedding, a $40,000 yacht affair, felt hollow. The fifth was a courthouse ceremony prompted by pregnancy. At 29, she met Jonathan online and told him the truth immediately: “I’ve been married five times.”
One and a half years later, they married in jeans and T-shirts. The cost? $120. “It was my cheapest wedding, and happier than all the others put together. Even bills and laundry can be wonderful, when you’re with the right person.”
Jonathan, 44 (married twice)
“She wasn’t interested in playing games… what we had together was real.” His first wedding was elaborate but empty; his second, with Lacey, was calm and honest. “If anything, I feel strangely grateful for her five previous marriages, because they led her to me.”
“She Is Slow and Steady; I’m an Incurable Romantic”
Joseph, 85 (married five times)
Divorced four times, Joseph says age changed him. “I knew myself in a way you simply can’t at 25.” His first marriage collapsed in the cultural upheaval of 1968; his second was a hippy commune life that dissolved under the weight of drugs and anger. Two more marriages followed before he met Emily at 55. She said no to his proposals for years – until one day she didn’t.
Emily, 76 (married once)
Raised by a mother who regretted marriage, Emily never saw weddings as aspirational. “I was a careful romantic.” Eventually, she said yes, and 30 years later, they still kiss and cuddle daily. “Joseph’s romanticism is offset by my clear headedness, and it works.”
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“A Tornado Through Men’s Lives”
Jan, 70 (married five times)
At 18, she eloped to Las Vegas in jeans and hiking boots. By 34, three husbands lived within 10 miles of her. “The moment a man said ‘I want to marry you’ it felt like the ultimate expression of the love I was craving.”
Each divorce followed personal change. By 45, a professor with a new sense of self, she thought marriage was behind her – until Gary. They married for practical reasons (his knee surgery insurance), but have been together a decade. “I wasn’t desperate for the affirmation of marriage with him.”
Gary, 68 (married three times)
“Having multiple marriages sounds worse than it really is… if you put it like that, we’re not so bad at marriage.” Their Reno ceremony was quiet, witnessed by a joyful first time couple. “A wedding certificate is not going to keep you together. It’s the daily interactions that count.”
“I Still Don’t Believe in Marriage”
Bev, 75 (married four times)
Her first marriage was a visa arrangement; her second, to placate parents when she had a child. She loved Mike – a family friend – for years before they married on a Tobago beach, mainly for tax reasons. “If someone tells me I can save money… I just ask where to sign.”
Mike, 70 (married twice)
He’d known Bev since his teens, always harbouring a crush. Married to others for years, they finally came together. “We became family before we became a couple.”
The Endless Beginning
From courthouse T-shirts to yacht receptions, these are not tales of perfect unions, but of hope’s persistence. For serial spouses, a wedding isn’t an ending – it’s just the next beginning.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information originally reported by The Guardian. While the original piece provides the core facts, this version offers a fresh perspective, additional insights, and a concise, engaging read. If you want the full original report, you can find it on The Guardian’s website.