Happy Valentine’s Day: 3 Bittersweet Romances Involving Reluctant Royals

In 1953, the same year Roman Holiday debuted, a romance flourished between a real-life princess and a commoner. Britain’s Princess Margaret, 22, and Capt. Peter Townsend, 38, were madly love, and the newspapers were full of the story. Townsend had served in various palace positions from the time Margaret was 14 and often chaperoned her.

But Townsend was divorced, and neither the Church of England nor the prime minister (who was also divorced) would approve the union for that reason.

If the two married, Parliament stipulated Margaret would have to give up her position as royalty, including her allowance. She eventually acceded and maintained her position.

When the British royal family heard Roman Holiday was being made, they insisted producers sign an agreement that Margaret and Townsend would not be referenced in association with it. The plot was never intentionally based on them anyway; the story had been bouncing around Hollywood for some 10 years. Paramount agreed, but the public made the connection regardless, which increased the film’s popularity at the box office.

Romance versus royal duties is at play in all three of this week’s pick, though in varying ways. Each movie features a dynamic leading lady, all costumed enviously. Two won best actress Academy Awards for their roles in these movies. The third fared, perhaps, even better. She became a princess in real life.

Roman Holiday

RELEASE DATE: 1953 DIRECTOR: William Wyler STUDIO: Paramount HEADLINERS: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert RUN TIME: 1 hour, 58 minutes FILMED IN: Black & White IMDb RANK: 8.0

SYNOPSIS: A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians in Rome and falls in love with an American newsman.

NOTES: Paramount wanted to shoot this in Hollywood rather than on location, but director Wyler refused. The studio finally agreed, but filmed the movie in black and white and cast then unknown Hepburn as Princess Ann to cut the budget. Hepburn won the role of Ann thanks to a legendary screen test that included candid interview footage. The cameraman was instructed to keep cameras rolling after the director said, “Cut,” and several minutes of unrehearsed, spontaneous Hepburn was captured. The Embassy Ball scene features real Italian nobility, and the presentation of Princess Ann scene uses actual reporters on assignment in Itay. Both Peck and Hepburn met their respective future spouses on the set. The use of the Italian Vespa two-stroke scooter kindled an unprecedented public interest in the vehicle after the movie’s release. After filming, Peck told producers that since, in his opinion, Hepburn would win an Oscar (for this, her first major role), they should put her name above the title. They did and she did. Hepburn was so overwhelmed at winning the Oscar that she took the wrong route to get to the stage, kissed the presenter on the mouth instead of the cheek, gave a breathless speech, then, in her excitement, left the trophy in the ladies’ room. Turning quickly on the steps of the Center Theater in New York, she raced back to the ladies room, retrieved the award, and was ready to pose for photographs.

LINKS: Trailer | Full film | Rent/buy

Anastasia

RELEASE DATE: 1956 DIRECTOR: Anatole Litvak STUDIO: 20th Century Fox HEADLINERS: Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, Akim Tamiroff, Helen Hayes RUN TIME: 1 hour, 45 minutes FILMED IN: Color IMDb RANK: 7.0

SYNOPSIS: Russian exiles in Paris plot to collect 10 million pounds from the Bank of England by grooming a destitute, suicidal girl to pose as heir to the Russian throne. While coaching her, her handler comes to believe she is really Anastasia. Or, is he just in love? In the end, the Empress must decide her claim.

NOTES: Based on the story of Anna Anderson, a woman who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Much later, DNA confirmed she was not, and the bodies of all nine members of the Russian royal family were recovered. Helen Haye was a British actress who had impressed the film’s producer in a 1953 BBC television production of Anastasia. He sent a memo to the films’ casting director, saying, “Hire Helen Haye,” who thought the last name was a misprint and instead hired the popular American actress Helen Hayes. Bergman won the best actress Oscar for her performance, but Cary Grant accepted it for her, since Hollywood had effectively blacklisted her in 1949 for having an affair with director Roberto Rossellini and having his child out of wedlock.

LINKS: Trailer | Full film | Rent/buy

The Swan

RELEASE DATE: 1956 DIRECTOR: Charles Vidor STUDIO: MGM HEADLINERS: Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, Louis Jourdan, Jesse Royce Landis, Agnes Moorehead RUN TIME: 1 hour, 44 minutes FILMED IN: Color IMDb RANK: 6.4

SYNOPSIS: When a crown prince visits, Princess Alexandra’s mother tries to push him into marrying her daughter by presenting a “rival” at the ball–her children’s handsome tutor. But the plan doesn’t go as planned.

NOTES: Shot on location at the 1895 Biltmore Estate and at Lake Junaluska, both in North Carolina. This was the second time in two years that Jessie Royce Landis played Grace Kelly’s mother; the first was in To Catch a Thief the previous year. Rex Harrison and Joseph Cotten were both offered the role of Prince Albert before it went to Guinness, who was appearing in his first American film. MGM released this movie on April 18, 1956, to correspond with the wedding day of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. Helen Rose, who designed the clothing for this movie, also designed Kelly’s wedding gown.

LINKS: Trailer | Rent/buy