Who Is Christopher Wilding? the Life of Elizabeth Taylor’s Son

Christopher Wilding grew up in one of the most famous families in Hollywood. He is the son of legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor and British actor Michael Wilding. Even with that famous background, Christopher chose a much quieter life and built a career mainly behind the camera instead of chasing the spotlight.

His story includes much more than being Elizabeth Taylor’s son. Christopher worked in film editing, sound, camera work, and photography. He also built his own family, became a father of three sons, and stayed close to his mother throughout her life.

So, who is Christopher Wilding, and what has his life really been like? In this article, we will look at his early years, parents, family, film career, marriages, children, and the strong bond he shared with Elizabeth Taylor.

Christopher Edward Wilding’s Quick Bio

Who Is Christopher Wilding?

Christopher Wilding is best known as one of Elizabeth Taylor’s sons. He was born on February 27, 1955, and interestingly, he shares the same birthday as his mother. His father was Michael Wilding, a well-known British actor who had already built a strong film career before Christopher was born.

Although Christopher grew up around actors, movie sets, and major Hollywood events, he did not become a big screen star. Instead, he found his own place in the film world by working behind the scenes. Over the years, he worked in editing, sound, camera work, and photography.

Christopher has always kept a lower public profile than his mother. That quieter life is one reason many people know his name but do not know much about his own career and family. His story shows how someone can grow up around huge fame while still choosing a more private path.

Christopher Wilding’s Early Life in California

Christopher Wilding was reportedly born at Santa Monica Hospital in California by cesarean section. He entered a family that was already deeply connected to film. His mother was quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, while his father was a respected British actor.

His early years were comfortable, and reports describe the family home as warm and filled with pets. Even though his mother was famous, Christopher still experienced many normal parts of childhood. At the same time, he was surrounded by movie awards, famous visitors, and constant public interest.

Christopher was still very young when Elizabeth Taylor won her first Academy Award. Growing up with an Oscar-winning mother made his childhood very different from most people’s. Still, one small family story shows that life at home could also be playful and ordinary.

Christopher later said that he and his brother were allowed to play with some of their mother’s Golden Globe awards. Her Oscars, however, were treated differently and were off limits. It is a simple but memorable detail that gives a more personal look at life inside the Taylor household.

Christopher Wilding’s Parents and Family

Christopher’s mother, Elizabeth Taylor, became one of the most famous actresses of the 20th century. She was known for films, beauty, awards, and later for major charity work. His father, Michael Wilding, was also an actor and was especially popular with British film audiences during the 1940s.

Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding married in 1952. Michael was about 20 years older than Taylor, who was still very young at the time. The couple had two sons together, first Michael Wilding Jr. and then Christopher Wilding in 1955.

Christopher was their second child. His older brother, Michael Wilding Jr., also had ties to acting and the entertainment world. The brothers spent their early years surrounded by film, though they later followed somewhat different paths in adult life.

Their parents’ marriage did not last. Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Wilding divorced in 1957, when Christopher was still a small child. His father later died in 1979. Christopher remained part of Elizabeth Taylor’s much larger family as she remarried and had more children.

Through his mother’s later relationships, Christopher became part of a large and blended family. His siblings included Michael Wilding Jr., Liza Todd, and Maria Burton. This gave him a family life that changed over time as Elizabeth Taylor’s personal life continued to attract worldwide attention.

Growing Up as Elizabeth Taylor’s Son

Growing up as Elizabeth Taylor’s son meant living close to one of the brightest stars in Hollywood. Christopher saw the film world from the inside from a very young age. He was around famous actors, film sets, awards, photographers, and major public events.

Still, Elizabeth Taylor was not only a movie star at home. People close to the family often described her as deeply proud of her children. She enjoyed being a mother and tried to keep a strong bond with them even while working on major films.

Christopher’s childhood also included several of Elizabeth Taylor’s later husbands, including Richard Burton. Because Taylor’s life was often covered by the press, Christopher grew up with public attention around the family. Even so, he did not turn that exposure into a life of constant celebrity.

Instead, he gradually became more private as he got older. His early contact with the film industry still shaped his future, but he seemed more interested in the work behind movies than in becoming famous in front of the camera.

Christopher Wilding in The Taming of the Shrew

Christopher Wilding had one early acting experience in the 1967 film The Taming of the Shrew. The movie starred his mother, Elizabeth Taylor, and her husband at the time, Richard Burton. It became a special family project because Christopher and his brother also appeared in the film.

Christopher and Michael Wilding Jr. worked as extras rather than taking major acting roles. They appeared in a scene connected with Burton’s character, Petruchio. Their small appearance gave them a direct taste of performing on a professional film set.

Michael Wilding Jr. later remembered the experience with some humor. He recalled the costumes they wore, including velvet caps, and remembered both brothers calling out during the scene. It became a small but interesting part of the family’s film history.

For Christopher, however, the experience did not lead to a serious acting career. Instead of trying to follow his mother into leading roles, he eventually chose technical and creative jobs behind the scenes. That decision would shape most of his professional life.

Christopher Wilding’s Film Career

Christopher Wilding built a film career that was quieter than his mother’s but still closely connected to the movie business. Rather than acting, he worked in technical roles that helped films come together behind the camera.

He worked as an assistant sound editor on films including Apartment Zero, Loverboy, and The Shadow. Sound editing is an important part of filmmaking because it helps shape dialogue, effects, and the overall feeling of a movie.

Christopher also reportedly worked as a third assistant director on Breakthrough. That kind of job involves helping a production stay organized and supporting the director and other crew members during filming. It shows that his work was not limited to only one area of filmmaking.

He also worked as a cameraman on The Mirror Crack’d, a film that starred Elizabeth Taylor. This gave Christopher another chance to work professionally on a project connected to his mother while still keeping his role behind the scenes.

By 2011, reports described Christopher as a film editor and photographer. Later reports said he had retired from film editing by 2016. His career may not have brought the same fame as Elizabeth Taylor’s, but it allowed him to build his own professional identity in the same industry.

Christopher Wilding and Aileen Getty

Christopher Wilding’s personal life also attracted attention because of his marriage to Aileen Getty. She is the granddaughter of oil businessman J. Paul Getty and came from another very well-known American family.

Christopher and Aileen reportedly began their relationship during the 1970s. They married in 1981 and started building a family together. Their marriage connected two families that were already widely known, though Christopher and Aileen generally kept much of their private life away from constant public attention.

The couple faced difficulty when trying to have children. After several unsuccessful attempts, they decided to adopt. In 1983, they welcomed a son named Caleb Wilding into their family.

A year later, Christopher and Aileen welcomed a biological son, Andrew Wilding, in 1984. Their family life later went through major challenges, including Aileen’s health problems, which became an important part of the wider family story.

Their marriage eventually ended in divorce in 1989. Even after the relationship ended, Aileen reportedly spoke kindly about Christopher and remained grateful for the support she received from Elizabeth Taylor during a very difficult period in her life.

Christopher Wilding’s Children

Christopher Wilding is the father of three sons. His first two children came from his marriage to Aileen Getty. Caleb Wilding was adopted in 1983, while Andrew Wilding was born the following year.

Later, Christopher had a third son, Lowell Wilding, with Margaret Carlton, also known as Margie. Lowell was reportedly born in 1991. This means Christopher built his family across different stages of his adult life.

Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, Christopher did not raise his children in constant public view. Much less is known about their day-to-day lives, and reliable sources do not provide many details about all three sons.

That privacy fits Christopher’s own approach to fame. Even though he comes from one of Hollywood’s best-known families, he has generally kept family matters away from heavy media attention. His children are part of the Taylor family legacy, but they have mostly lived outside the spotlight.

Aileen Getty’s HIV Diagnosis and Elizabeth Taylor’s Support

One of the hardest periods in Christopher Wilding’s family life came after Aileen Getty was diagnosed with HIV in the mid-1980s. At that time, HIV and AIDS were widely feared, and many people living with the virus faced unfair treatment, fear, and little understanding from others.

According to reports about Aileen’s life, Elizabeth Taylor became an important source of support during this difficult period. Instead of turning away, Taylor showed care and stayed close to her daughter-in-law. Aileen later spoke warmly about Elizabeth and even referred to her as “Mom.”

This part of the family story also connects closely with Elizabeth Taylor’s later work for people affected by HIV and AIDS. She became one of Hollywood’s strongest public voices on the issue at a time when many other famous people were still afraid to speak openly about it.

Christopher and Aileen’s marriage ended in 1989. Reports have also discussed difficult personal details from their marriage, but some of those claims come from older second-hand accounts. For that reason, it is better to focus on what is clear: Aileen faced a serious health crisis, and Elizabeth Taylor remained supportive.

Christopher Wilding’s Marriage to Margaret Carlton

After his marriage to Aileen Getty ended, Christopher later built a life with Margaret Carlton, who is often called Margie. Their relationship brought another important chapter to his family story.

Christopher and Margaret welcomed a son named Lowell Wilding in 1991. Lowell became Christopher’s third son, joining Caleb and Andrew from his earlier marriage.

Older reports said Christopher and Margie were living together in Calabasas, California, and owned a home there. A 2016 report described Christopher as happily married and retired from film editing at that time.

However, there is very little recent public information about Christopher’s home or marriage in 2026. Since he has kept his private life away from the media, older details should not automatically be treated as current facts.

Christopher Wilding’s Bond With Elizabeth Taylor

Christopher Wilding remained closely connected to Elizabeth Taylor throughout her life. Their relationship could often be seen at family gatherings and public events, where Christopher appeared beside his mother over many years.

He attended Elizabeth Taylor’s famous 40th birthday celebration in Budapest in February 1972. He was still a teenager at the time and joined other family members during the large weekend celebration.

Christopher was also photographed with his mother at later events. In 1978, he attended a party with her at the Iranian Embassy. Years later, he joined Taylor at an InStyle event connected with the release of her book Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry.

Aileen Getty also remembered how much Elizabeth cared about being a mother. Despite her huge movie career, Taylor was said to take great pride in her children and enjoyed having them around her.

That close family bond continued until the end of Elizabeth Taylor’s life. When she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in March 2011, reports said Christopher and his siblings were with her.

Christopher later spoke with great respect about his mother’s acting. He felt that people sometimes focused so much on Elizabeth Taylor’s beauty that they forgot how talented she was as an actress.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscars

Christopher Wilding has shared several personal stories that give people a different view of Elizabeth Taylor. One of the most memorable involves the awards she kept at home while Christopher and his brother were children.

The brothers were apparently allowed to handle and play with some of their mother’s Golden Globe awards. Her Academy Awards were different. Those were kept away from the children.

Years later, Christopher became the keeper of some of those same awards. In a 2016 interview, he said he had his mother’s first three Oscars displayed in the living room of his home.

For Christopher, the awards represented more than fame. He said he was proud of his mother’s acting ability and wanted people to remember the skill behind her celebrated screen image.

He was equally proud of her charity work. Elizabeth Taylor became a major voice in the fight against HIV and AIDS and received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1993.

Christopher said he believed his mother would be especially pleased to be remembered for her work helping others. That comment shows that he sees Elizabeth Taylor’s legacy as much more than movies, jewelry, awards, and Hollywood fame.

Where Is Christopher Wilding Now?

Christopher Wilding has spent much of his later life away from regular media attention. Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, whose life was followed closely by the press, Christopher has generally chosen privacy.

By 2016, he was described as a retired film editor. Earlier reports also described him as a photographer, showing that his interest in visual work continued beyond traditional film editing.

Older reports placed Christopher and Margaret Carlton in Calabasas, California. However, there is not enough reliable recent information to say with certainty where Christopher lives in 2026 or what his everyday life looks like now.

He has continued to appear from time to time in stories connected with Elizabeth Taylor and her legacy. He has also attended events linked to his mother’s charity work and public memory.

Christopher’s limited public presence should not be mistaken for mystery. He simply appears to have chosen a quieter life after spending his childhood inside one of Hollywood’s most watched families.

Bottom Line

Christopher Wilding may always be introduced as Elizabeth Taylor’s son, but his own life has a clear story. He grew up surrounded by Hollywood fame, appeared briefly on screen as a child, and then chose to build a career behind the camera.

He worked in sound editing, camera work, film editing, and photography. He also became a father of three sons and built a family life that was far more private than the world his mother lived in.

His strongest public connection has always remained Elizabeth Taylor. Christopher stayed close to her through the years, was reportedly with her near the end of her life, and later helped keep her memory alive through personal stories.

Those memories show another side of Taylor: not only the movie star, but also the mother who cared deeply about her children and the woman who became known for helping people affected by HIV and AIDS.

(FAQs)

How old is Christopher Wilding?

Christopher Wilding was born on February 27, 1955. Based on that birth date, he is 71 years old in 2026.

Who are Christopher Wilding’s parents?

His parents are Elizabeth Taylor and British actor Michael Wilding. They married in 1952 and divorced in 1957.

Does Christopher Wilding share a birthday with Elizabeth Taylor?

Yes. Christopher and his mother were both born on February 27. Elizabeth Taylor was born in 1932, while Christopher was born in 1955.

What did Christopher Wilding do for a living?

Christopher worked mainly behind the scenes in film. His work included sound editing, camera work, film editing, assistant directing, and photography.

Is Christopher Wilding still alive?

Yes. There are no reliable reports that Christopher Wilding has died. He has kept a low public profile in recent years.

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