2. - Audrey Hepburn's Secret To Beauty

            The Secret to beauty is “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” These were the wise words imparted to us by Audrey Hepburn. 

Audrey Hepburn is remembered by most people because of her graceful petite body, air of elegance, iconic style, and timeless beauty. But there is more to her than what meets the eye. She was more than just another pretty face.

The beautiful and elegant Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born on May 4, 1929 in Ixelles, a municipality in Brussels, Belgium. Her father was Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston - a one-time honorary British consul in the Dutch East Indies. Her mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch aristocrat. Due to her mother’s family in the Netherlands and her father’s British background, the family frequently traveled. Thus, Audrey Hepburn became fluent in 5 languages – English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Italian.

Her parents were members of the British Union of Fascists and Nazi sympathizers. By 1935, her parent’s marriage had failed. Audrey and Baroness Ella then moved to Kent, South East England. Then by September 1939, once Britain had declared war on Germany, they moved to Arnhem, Netherlands. There, Audrey had trained in ballet at the Arnhem Conservatory. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands, she moved to Velp. 

Audrey’s enviable graceful slender body was not the product of drastic weight watching and starving herself. The story behind her petite figure happened during the war. During the Dutch famine over the winter of 1944, the limited food of the Dutch people was confiscated by the Nazis. The Dutch were left with nothing to eat. Over this period, the young Audrey suffered from extreme malnutrition. She and others barely survived starvation by making flour out of tulip bulbs to bake cakes and biscuits. 

Though Audrey’s parents were Nazi sympathizers, she was not. During the war, she acted as a courier for the Dutch resistance. This was because children were not scoured for letters and messages. The young Audrey, who was a skilled ballet dancer, would perform shows for a crowd and collect money to help fund the resistance.

After the war, she starred in small plays and then appeared in Hollywood films. Some of her most famous films are “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, “Roman Holiday”, “Sabrina”, and “Wait Until Dark”. She is an EGOT or a rare person who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She is only one of 14 individuals who have achieved this.

After her acting career, she worked as a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. Grateful for her own good fortune after enduring the German occupation as a child, she dedicated the remainder of her life to helping impoverished children in the poorest nations. 

Audrey Hepburn died at the age of 63 due to appendicular cancer. It is sad that she is remembered by most because of her pretty face. Though she has already passed, her legacy remains. she should be remembered as an inspirational role model who taught others that beauty is not defined by physical appearance. Beauty is found within and in compassion shown for others,