Vanessa Redgrave speaks about marriage to second 'husband' for the first time

The actress met Franco Nero in 1967 when they played Lancelot and Guinevere in the film musical Camelot. Their union resulted in a son, Carlo, 40, but they split up shortly after he was born.

Now, however, the 78 year-old has told how they were reunited and eventually decided to marry four years ago in a private ceremony.

Redgrave disclosed that the wedding in 2006 to her "second husband" is not legally binding, however, because the couple were determined to avoid "all of the money business" associated with an official marriage.

She said that she had consulted with her daughters Natasha and Joely Richardson, from her first marriage to Tony Richardson, before deciding not to have a legal ceremony. She said that instead she wanted the wedding to be based on "commitment and love".

The performer, who is from the Redgrave acting dynasty, said: "It was quite clear to us all that what we didn't want was a marriage which was legal and which has money involved.

"Stay clear of all that, stay clear of all the money business. Stay clear of being legally married."

The 78 year-old said that the couple's son, a screenwriter and film director, played a key role at the private ceremony.

"He put the ring on my finger," she said. "He was best man as it were.

"We were married in front of family and friends with the greatest possible commitment and love. I think I'm terribly lucky, terribly lucky."

Despite the decades between their first relationship and their recent union Redgrave claimed that she never considered herself truly apart from Nero.

She told Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 : "We never really separated. We had plenty of times when we weren't speaking to each other or when we were shouting at each other.

"Mostly the worst times were when we were not speaking to each other."

In a case of art imitating life the couple are appearing opposite each other as reunited lovers in the film Letters to Juliet, the first time they have shared the screen together for ten years.

She admitted that in the intervening years "there were all sorts of other people involved".

Redgrave divorced her first husband Richardson in 1967 after 5 years of marriage, the same year that she met Nero.

Despite finding happiness in her romantic life in recent years Redgrave has been beset by tragedy.

Last year her daughter Natasha, 45, was killed following a skiing accident in Canada in March last year.

Her brother Corin Redgrave died in April this year aged 70 followed by her sister Lynn Redgrave, 67, in May after a battle with cancer.

The actress said she was looking forward to taking some time off to "take stock" of her recent bereavements.

She said: "I'm glad not to work for while because I want to take time to think and to read and to garden and see my daughter and be with my grandchildren."

She described grief as "a very strange country that does very strange things to your mind".

Other reunited lovers include Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton who were married and divorced twice between 1964 and 1976.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales married the Duchess of Cornwall decades after she had been a girlfriend prior his engagement to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.