Off stage,the four-times married Humphries was also a beloved father of four and grandfather of 10,though his life away from the spotlight was not always quite so content.
In 1990 Humphries married for the fourth time to Lizzie Spender,the English television actress and daughter of poet Sir Stephen Spender and concert pianist Natasha Spender.
Last year,Humphries spoke glowingly of his wife,tellingReader’s Digest:“We’ve been married for over 30 years now. I have to thank Wife No. 2 for two daughters and Wife No. 3 for two sons. Between them,they’ve produced 10 grandchildren on whom I dote. But then I’ve become a lot smarter which is why this marriage has endured.”
Humphries’ first marriage in 1955 was to Sydney woman Brenda Wright,when he was 21 and she 19. It lasted less than two years. Humphries later reflected that the marriage was partly inspired by his desire to rebel against his Melbourne parents and stuffy upbringing.
His daughters,artist Emily and former actor Tessa,are the product of his marriage to his second wife,dancer-turned-art historian Dr Rosalind Hollinrake,whom he divorced in 1970 after 12 years.
His third wife,Diane Millstead is the mother of Humphries’ two sons:former tabloid star turned art curator and father of two Oscar and video game creator Rupert. Humphries and Millstead parted company in 1989 amid a blaze of headlines.
Humphries had previously admitted,somewhat ruefully,that he was a far more present figure in his grandchildren’s lives than he was for his own children.
He blamed many of the issues that plagued his relationships on alcohol. Last year he said:“For over 10 years of my life,I had a serious alcoholic illness. I finally put the cork back in the bottle in my late 30s and haven’t touched a drop from that day to this.“