He made his name back in the ‘60s when he made his debut as the hunky Captain Kirk in cult space series Star Trek.

Now, almost fifty years after he left viewers swooning with looks so smouldering that he could be the only man in history to make a mustard turtleneck scream ‘sex symbol’, William Shatner has struck again – this time with his latest lucky lady.

Last week the now 94-year-old, who appears fit and healthy, was photographed enjoying lunch at a Hollywood restaurant with his unexpected date, who sported a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger.

But fans couldn’t help but note that William’s new leading lady was, in fact, his third wife, horse trainer Elizabeth Martin, who he divorced from back in 2020.

At the time the couple had been married for 18 years before citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ for the reason behind their split.

Now a source reveals that after privately reuniting, pals have been whispering that William was forced to change his stance and quietly tie the knot again because Elizabeth wasn’t prepared to stick around if he didn’t.

The insider says, ‘Bill may have talked about how he’s not going to remarry his wife, but now it looks like things have changed. She’s walking around with a huge rock and talk in their circle is that they quietly said the vows behind closed doors.

‘Apparently it was a small, private, intimate ceremony where he recommitted himself to her. He didn’t have much of a choice. He really didn’t want to and felt it was unnecessary, but Elizabeth wasn’t comfortable with the status quo, and he reluctantly agreed to do it. It made her happy, so he’s happy, too.’

Last year, just ahead of his 93rd birthday, William let fans into his ‘secret’, letting slip that he and Elizabeth, 66, had moved back in together.

He said at the time, ‘My little secret is I’m living with my former wife… We’ve in effect remarried. But we haven’t done another ceremony.’

However, after revealing that the pair had no plans to tie the knot for a second time, the source says that William may have agreed to a commitment ceremony over another formal wedding day like the legal ceremony they had in a small Indiana courthouse the first time around.

‘Knowing Bill it’s likely that they’ve made a compromise and had a commitment ceremony without the legal paperwork,’ the insider says.

‘He’s had this bee in his bonnet for years about not wanting the government in his business, or his bank accounts, and it’s hard to imagine him going back on that.

‘What would be more shocking is if he actually filed paperwork to make it a legal marriage. Regardless of whether there’s legal paperwork or not, this has clearly made Elizabeth a very happy woman, she’s flashing her new diamond ring any chance she gets.’

Their nuptials mark William’s fourth wedding. The actor married his first wife Gloria Rand in 1956 and the pair welcomed three daughters together – Leslie, 66, Lisabeth, 64, and Melanie, 61, who all remain close to their famous dad.

The pair divorced in 1969 and William went on to marry Marcy Lafferty from 1973 to 1996 and Nerine Kidd in 1997 before her tragic death aged just 40.

At the time, William found actress Nerine dead in their swimming pool after coming home one night. Alcohol and diazepam were later found in her system, leading William to bravely talk about his late wife’s addiction and encourage fans to support a local charity supporting other women.

He married Elizabeth four years later, and the source says that despite their mutual independence (they even turned up to their lunch date in separate cars), she is William’s ‘rock’.

The insider says, ‘They have a good life together and look out for each other. They’re both very independent, too, where she does a lot of her own thing and he does some travelling by himself, but they always find a way to come back.

‘She’s his rock and vice versa, and everyone is pleased he seems to have done the right thing by marrying her all over again. He says all the time that she’s the only one for him.’

In 2023, nonagenarian William even went as far as to hint that the pair still enjoyed a sizzling chemistry, saying, ‘My wife … she is the zest of life. She brings the flavor.’

And now the source says William appears more in love than ever as the couple enjoy a second honeymoon period.

‘Bill seems more sentimental than ever, he’s gushing about how much she means to him and telling anyone that will listen how he couldn’t imagine his life without her,’ the insider says.

‘Even if there’s no marriage license, she’s his partner in every way that matters and he’ll want to honour that. She’s totally devoted to him and everyone in Bill’s life is happy he’s come to his senses and has realised what a gem he’s got in Elizabeth.’

With an estimated worth of $100 million, the source says that while William is pretty low-key about his fortune, preferring to spend his time horse breeding and ranching, he wants to ensure that Elizabeth is secure financially and isn’t afraid to spoil her.

‘He’s very generous with her so it makes sense that he’d get her a big diamond ring and profess his love to her in front of family and friends,’ the insider reveals.

‘He’s never one to talk much about money but he’s worth more than $100 million and there’s no doubt that he’ll want to make sure Elizabeth is well taken care of, even after he’s gone, so everyone’s assuming this new commitment ceremony came with some financial arrangement to benefit her as well.

‘Bill’s staying tight lipped, but he’s an old-school gentleman, it’s important to him that everyone he cares about is well looked after, he takes a lot of pride in that.’