Laurence Olivier's steamy love letters to Vivien Leigh revealed for first time ever

London: Laurence Olivier's steamy love letters to Vivien Leigh have recently been revealed for first time ever, it has been reported.

These passionate outpourings are among 200 letters charting the couple's love-lust affair and stormy marriage acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of Leigh's estate in 2013, and which have only now been made available for public scrutiny, the Daily Express reported.

The letters traces the turbulent relationship between Olivier and Leigh, which began in 1936 when the pair played on-screen lovers in 'Fire Over England.' Olivier was married at the time to Jill Esmund and the lovers were forced to hide their relationship until 1940.

Olivier and Leigh finally tied the knot in 1940 and letters sent by Leigh in the 1950s revealed the passion between the two remained very much alive a decade into the marriage.

Nevertheless Olivier was so "exhausted" by his new wife that he was said to have been relieved when she started an affair with the Australian actor Peter Finch.

However, by the end of the decade their romance was no more. Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder and had a series of mental breakdowns that put an increasing strain on their relationship and the couple divorced in 1960.