Family Life

Audrey Hepburn spent the majority of her childhood in Europe. Her mother, Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch baroness. Her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was van Heemstra's second husband. Ruston later adopted the last name of Hepburn-Rutson as he mistakenly believed that he was a descendant of James Hepburn, Mary, Queen of Scots' third husband. Audrey had two half older brothers (Alex and Ian) from her mother's previous marriage.

Growing Up

Due to her father's job, the family went back and forth between England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Growing up with two brothers, Hepburn was quite a tomboy and would love to play outdoors. She was incredibly shy, so her parents enrolled her in a boarding school as "shock therapy" to encourage her to socialize more. When Audrey was 6, her father suddenly left the household, and soon after her parents divorced. She later commented on that as "the most traumatic event of my life."