Audrey Hepburn's movies have often created an image of romance born out of thrilling escapades, hilarious hijinks, and a sudden rush of emotion.
The actress was known for starring in romantic comedies that inspired many love stories to come, from her Oscar-winning turn in Roman Holiday to the love triangle of Sabrina to Breakfast at Tiffany's intoxicating heroine.
But away from the cameras, her love stories weren't as perfect, including two marriages and several partners. And it all began with her first love, way back in her early 20s…
© Getty ImagesAudrey's first engagement
Back in 1951, the actress announced her engagement to industrialist James Hanson. The pair met in 1950, when she'd just finished work on the film Young Wives' Tale and was on the cusp of making her Hollywood breakthrough.
As described in the 1984 biography Audrey Hepburn: Fair Lady of the Screen by Ian Woodward, James, seven years her senior, was the son of a Huddersfield businessman and one of the most eligible young bachelors around town.
© Getty ImagesThe pair met at a mutual friend's party and entered a relationship soon after. While their romance was quiet, he was a fixture by her side when she began starring in the Broadway play Gigi starting in 1951, which made her a star on the stage.
However, it came as a surprise to the general masses when on December 4, 1951, their engagement was announced in the London Times, and their wedding was reportedly planned for early 1952.
© Getty ImagesWho was James Hanson?
James Edward Hanson, soon to be known as Baron Hanson or Lord Hanson, was one of the most notable industrialists of 20th century England, who had been dubbed "Lord Moneybags" by the press.
After inheriting his father's business, he became known for quickly expanding his businesses through leveraged buyouts with Hanson plc, now known as Heidelberg Materials UK, and Hanson Trust.
He began buying other companies with his longstanding business partner Gordon White (later Lord White), the most lucrative being the 1989 purchase of Imperial Group, and was even knighted in 1976.
By the time of his death in 2004 at the age of 82, Lord Hanson's personal wealth was estimated to be between $100-$200 million. As per the New York Times, in 1996, his companies had combined sales estimated to be nearly $18 billion.
© Getty ImagesAudrey and James' break-up
By 1952, Audrey's life began taking on more of a whirlwind-like form, thanks to the immense success of Gigi and the prospect of Hollywood.
Most notable was Roman Holiday, the 1953 film that would eventually earn her an Oscar, and began filming the previous year. As such, the couple's competing schedules often kept them apart.
Per the biography, the couple would have discussions about their wedding behind-the-scenes, but kept quiet on the public front. They'd decided on a date, and Audrey even had her wedding dress fitted. But in December, an announcement read: "The engagement between Mr. James Hanson and Miss Audrey Hepburn has been broken."
The couple stated, per reports at the time, that there was no ill-will between them and their busy lives kept them too far apart for the marriage to work. Audrey eventually issued a statement of her own that simply said: "When I get married, I want to be really married."
© Getty ImagesTheir relationships after
Soon after, Audrey met actor Mel Ferrer, tying the knot in 1954. They welcomed one son before parting ways in 1968. She married psychiatrist Andrea Dotti in 1969, welcoming another son before their 1982 divorce. In the years leading up to her death, she was in a relationship with Dutch actor Robert Wolders.
James, meanwhile, also dated Jean Simmons and Joan Collins before eventually marrying Geraldine Kaelin in 1959. He became a stepfather to her daughter and they welcomed two sons together, Robert and Brook (who tragically passed away in 2014).
