The romance between the ethereal invalid Elizabeth Barrett and urbane Robert Browning has been the subject of numerous books and films. Yet the reality was rather different: Elizabeth, whilst physically weak, was a tough intellectual with strong opinions, and Robert Browning, so long seen as his wife's husband, emerges as a complex and often troubled character. What is indisputable is the great love between them, which sustained Elizabeth's estrangement from her father, long periods of illness and (relative) poverty. Martin Garrett looks at their productive working relationship, and examines Robert Browning's life after his wife's death.