Ralph Fiennes has often made headlines with his somewhat checkered love life.
Last week, the 60-year-old actor surprised when he was spotted with his ex-lover Francesca Annis, 77, who was involved in the end of his first marriage.
A witness said: “They looked very relaxed, they left the hotel together and took a long walk before going to lunch.” They were laughing and joking.
The exit was a surprise, since shortly before he was seen with the socialite Amelia Richards with the couple romantically linked.
Now MailOnline takes a look at Ralph’s complicated relationship history.
Reunited: Last week, Ralph Fiennes, 60, was shocked when he was spotted with his ex-lover Francesca Annis, 77, who was involved in the end of his first marriage.
Alex Kingston – 1983 to 1997
Ralph met his first wife Alex Kingston at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1983 and they dated for 10 years before getting married.
The cracks had started to show before they made things official, and Alex recalled, “She had been away for most of that year and came back three days before the wedding.”
“We were like strangers, very fragile. His mother was dying and somehow we thought the wedding was going to cure everything. But that was crazy, of course.
Shortly after his big day, Ralph’s career skyrocketed when he starred in the Oscar-laden Schindler’s List.
Just two years after they were married, the couple divorced in 1997 after Ralph confessed that he was in love with his Hamlet co-star Francesca Annis.
Speaking after their divorce, Alex told The Daily Mail: “I felt worthless, that I would never find anyone better than my husband, which is ridiculous, but I had very low self-esteem.
“Divorce is horrible, but it’s also something I don’t regret because it has shaped me who I am today.”
He added to the Evening Standard that he felt “useless and suicidal” afterwards and had to work to rebuild his confidence.
Ex-wife: Ralph met his first wife Alex Kingston at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1983 and they dated for 10 years before marrying (pictured in 1995)
Francesca Annis – 1997 to 2006
Ralph met Francesca when she was starring in the Critically acclaimed stage production of Hamlet at the Hackney Empire in 1995.
He played the title role while Francesca, who is 17 years older than him, played his mother Gertrude.
They were both involved in long-term relationships at the time: Ralph was married to Alex while she was with photographer Patrick Wiseman, the father of her three children.
Speaking about dating a man almost two decades younger, Francesca previously said: ‘Of course I don’t spend days agonizing over the age difference. How I can? There’s nothing you can do about it.
“Ralph and I have been together for ten years, so no matter what, we’ve had a very good relationship, a different one, and an interesting time.”
In 2005, New York gossip columnists linked Ralph to Showgirls star Gina Gershon, but he strongly denied the claims and launched legal proceedings against the paper.
The following year, singer Cornelia Crisan alleged that she had been having a two-year affair with the actor and the next day, Ralph and Francesca announced that they were separating after 11 years together.
Sources close to the couple told The Evening Standard: “It’s been a difficult time for both of them, particularly as they haven’t even seen each other since the revelations surfaced.”
“Seeing all their private details exposed in all the newspapers has made them think about their future together.
‘Things have not been good to be quiet for a while. Francesca seems to have been different since she turned 60 and they both realized how big the age difference is between them. Meanwhile, Ralph has had his own midlife crisis.
“Having his relationship raked has made him, in particular, decide it’s time to call it quits. It is very sad.’
Co-stars: Ralph met Francesca Annis when he starred in the critically acclaimed stage production of Hamlet at the Hackney Empire in 1995.
Cornelia Crisán – 2004 to 2006
Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan claimed in 2006 that for the past two years she had been in a passionate relationship with the star of The English Patient.
She said the relationship began after Ralph saw her at a party at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
She claimed that the actor persuaded her to meet him in one of the hotel suites, where he seduced her.
Over the next two years, Cornelia said she met Ralph more than 30 times, including in a “hidden hole” he kept in London’s East End.
“He was a cheater,” he told the Mail on Sunday. ‘He used me to always be there for him, whether he needed someone to talk to or wanted a hug or lovemaking.
“As time went by, I started to see more clearly, to realize that I didn’t want it at all.
‘Playing hot and cold with a woman gave his ego something. Knowing that there was someone who might have cried for him, might have suffered, made him feel better about himself.
Lady Amanda Harlech – 2006 to 2013 (rumored)
After their high-profile romances ended in scandal, Ralph kept his next relationship very low-key.
While he is believed to have dated Lady Amanda Harlech for seven years beginning in 2006, the actor has never spoken about their romance and the pair have rarely been photographed together.
Lady Harlech was a celebrated beauty and “muse” of Chanel’s creative director, Karl Lagerfeld.
The daughter of a wealthy London lawyer, she married aristocrat Francis Ormsby-Gore in 1986, but they divorced after 12 years.
The couple share two children, Hon Jasset David Cody Ormsby-Gore and Hon Tallulah Ormsby-Gore.
Although Lady Harlech, who studied English at Oxford, spent much of her time at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, she also owned a large country house in a remote part of Shropshire.
Daughter Tallulah is said to have diplomatically stayed with friends when Ralph made his nightly visits to the family home over the summer.
A source told The Daily Mail at the time: ‘Amanda is very private. Shropshire is her sanctuary. Obviously she really likes to invite him to private visits in the house.
While they did not announce a split, the couple has not been photographed together since 2013.
Private: While he is believed to have dated Lady Amanda Harlech for seven years beginning in 2006, Ralph never spoke about their romance and the pair were rarely photographed (pictured here in 2013)
Patti Smith – 2018 (rumored)
Punk rock veteran Patti Smith shared a sweet tribute to her close friend Ralph on his birthday in 2018, leaving fans convinced the celeb couple was dating.
The American musician posted a candid snapshot of the English actor on his Instagram with a gushing caption.
This is Ralph Fiennes. The son of a poet and poetry is the way of it, ”he wrote next to the apparently old photo.
He continued: “And poetry permeates the roles he plays. Happy birthday Ralph Fiennes, a good man in every way.
While the couple didn’t say if they were dating the public, the well wishes quickly sent fans into a meltdown.
Friends: Punk rock veteran Patti Smith shared a sweet tribute to her close friend Ralph on his birthday in 2018, leaving fans convinced the celeb couple was dating (pictured in 2019)
Amelia Richards – 2023 (unconfirmed)
Ralph, who is in Rome filming the Vatican thriller Conclave, based on a book by Robert Harris, was photographed last month arm in arm with 52-year-old Amelia Richards.
The society figure had been in a relationship for more than a decade with James Lindsay, 61, the son of one of Queen Camilla’s best friends.
A friend of the couple told Richard Eden of The Daily Mail: ‘James and Amelia have just split. He packed up his things at his Oxfordshire home last week.
He began to spend more time abroad. James is said to be devastated by the breakup.
The couple, who were a fixture on the London social scene, lived mainly in James’ £5 million country house in the Cotswolds.
He is a travel photographer, the son of Lady Amabel Lindsay, daughter of the 9th Earl of Hardwicke.
Cozy: Ralph, who is in Rome filming the Vatican thriller Conclave, based on a book by Robert Harris, was photographed last month arm in arm with Amelia Richards, 52.
Lady Amabel has been Camilla’s friend for decades. James’ royal connections include being a trustee for 18 years of the Tusk Trust, of which Prince William is a patron.
Amelia is the CEO of Letters Live, which hosts events where famous personalities read historical letters.
Interestingly, Amelia wore an engagement ring while being seen in Rome with Fiennes, who was in the Italian capital filming Conclave, an adaptation of Robert Harris’ best-selling novel.
A spokesperson for Ralph declined to comment on the nature of their relationship.
