TIMELINE

1970

February

8th – With her husband Andrea present in the hospital, Audrey gave birth to a baby boy on a Saturday night at the Cantonal Hospital in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. Swiss gynecologist, Professor Willy Merz, performed a caesarian section operation to avoid discomfort for Audrey. The baby boy is named Luca Dotti, and he weighed seven pounds and eight ounces.

Andrea couldn't contain his excitement, “I’m overjoyed about the baby and especially that he and his mother are in such perfect shape. It’s great to have another man in the family! We’re calling him Luca. The name has always been in the Dotti family.”

It is true, Andrea has a brother named Luca.

_{Source: Ian Woodward, 1984, Audrey Hepburn, St Martins Press.}

The Dottis left the hospital and retreated to La Paisible.

The Dottis returned to Rome.

_{Source: Ian Woodward, 1984, Audrey Hepburn, St Martins Press.}

April

Audrey holding her baby, Luca, in his nursery in her Rome apartment, Italy. He was three months and a half old.

_{Source: Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit, 2003, Atria Books.}

25th – Audrey and her husband, Andrea Dotti, arrived at Ristorante Romolo for lunch in Rome, Italy.

_{Source: The Fashion of Audrey}

May

4th – "My mother on her birthday, May 4, 1970, on Via del Consolatos terrace in Rome." Noted by her son, Luca Dotti.

_{Source: Luca Dotti, June 16th, 2015, Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen, Harper.}

August

In downtime Rome with her husband, Andrea Dotti.

December

22th – Audrey in Rome sings “Silent Night” on the CBS special, A World of Love, a UNICEF holiday special hosted by Shirley MacLaine, aired on 22 December, 1970. More information found in Rare Audrey Hepburn.

_{Source: Rare Audrey Hepburn; You'reGonnaLoveTomorrow, Audrey Hepburn sings Silent Night - 1970, YouTube.}

TIMELINE

1971

February

8th – Celebrating Luca Dotti's first birthday with husband Andrea Dotti in Rome.

_{Source: Luca Dotti, June 16th, 2015, Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen, Harper.}

18th – Mel Ferrer married children's book editor Elizabeth "Lisa" Soukhotine with Sean's attendance in Caxton Hall, Westminster, London.His fifth and final wife was born on July 6th, 1936, in Brussels, Belgium, and a descendant of the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, who wrote the literary epic War and Peace—Mel and Audrey starred in the 1956 King Vidor adaptation. Her parents fled Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution.

"It's his longest marriage to date. They're happily married, living together in Santa Barbara."
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer, 2003She passed away on June 28th, 2013. 🕊️

_{Source: Getty Images; Geni; Famous Fix; Larry King Live 2003.}

Spring/Summer

Audrey did a campaign photoshoot for a Japanese wig company.

September

8th – In downtime Rome with her husband, Andrea Dotti.

TIMELINE

1972

May

XX – XX

TIMELINE

1973

May

XX – XX

July

TIMELINE

1974

May

XX – XX

July

TIMELINE

1975

"Her personal life at that time was such that she didn’t feel strong enough to go out there. Although I was able to convince her to do Robin and Marian, when she really had to get out of the house. Her marriage with Andrea Dotti was a disaster. She was destroyed; she was either going to stay in bed and cry herself to sleep every day, or get on with it. And she really hung on as much as she could. The crime that man did to my mother, he didn’t do it over one day. He did it over ten years. In the beginning when she was pregnant, when she found out when they were separated, when she tried again, hoping to save the marriage…"
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer, her son

_{Source: Sean Hepburn Ferrer talks about Audrey Hepburn: The actress, the mother, the style icon and the humanitarian, December 8, 2016, Film Talk.}

July

1st – Robin and Marian's first day of shooting in Spain.

“In the evenings, she rarely had supper in the hotel dining-room, preferring to have it in the privacy of her room. Sean Connery, on the other hand, would come down every night, go in the bar, and share in the jollity with every member of the crew. But Audrey kept herself very much to herself.”
- Ann Skinner, Continuity in Robin and Marian

_{Source: Barry Paris, Audrey Hepburn, 1996, Penguin Publishing Group}

TIMELINE

1976

March

11th – Audrey attends the premiere of her film Robin and Marian, held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Afterward, Audrey and her co-star Sean Connery went to a party at the Tower Suite and danced the night away.

26th – Audrey and her husband, Andrea Dotti, went to the premiere at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences premiere of her film Robin and Marian in New York City.

29th – Audrey, with her husband, Andrea Dotti, attended the 48th Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. Afterward, they went to Irving “Swifty” Lazar’s Oscars party at the Bistro Restaurant.

30th – Audrey was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in Burbank, California.

_{Source: IMDB}

TIMELINE

1977

May

XX – XX

TIMELINE

1978

Spring

"In the spring of 1978, I came home; I was doing the baccalaureate, that’s when you get to spend the last three months studying at home. When I came home, I found her [Audrey] in bed, and she had taken a bunch of sleeping pills. Dreadful. He [Andrea] killed the marriage every day for ten years. The effect on my mother was absolutely devastating. When I was going to school in Switzerland in 1974, they were already leading basically separate lives. But she still had hopes, she still hoped that it would work out."
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer, her son

_{Source: Sean Hepburn Ferrer talks about Audrey Hepburn: The actress, the mother, the style icon and the humanitarian, December 8, 2016, Film Talk.}

October

8th – Bloodlines first day of production.

_{Source: AFI Catalog.}

Location shot in New York City; London, England; Paris, France; Costa Smeralda, Sardinia; Rome, Italy; and West Germany.

_{Source: AFI Catalog.}

In Munich, Audrey confided to her co-star Ben Gazzara that Andrea has been unfaithful and uses their home for his trysts when she’s not there. Her mind went into a dark place, and admitted contemplating ending her life. Soon after, they consummated the relationship, but the affair was only short lived. “No promises were made,” Ben said. “For us it was going to be an ‘on-location romance.’”

_{Source: Donald Spoto, Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn, October 9, 2007, Crown.}

December

22nd – The last day of production for Bloodline.

_{Source: AFI Catalog.}

TIMELINE

1979

April

9th – Audrey presented an Honorary Oscar® to film director King Vidor.

_{Source: YouTube}

June

18th – Audrey's eldest brother, Alexander Quarles van Ufford, passed away in San Pedro de Alcántara, Marbella, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, at the age of 59. 🕊️

_{Source: Family Search}

TIMELINE

1980

March

31st – They All Laughed filming begins.

July

31st – On her personalized La Paisible stationery, she wrote to her stepmother, Fidelma, concerning her father's health and her mother's declining health—she notes, "... added to all this my marriage is in bad shape so am suffering on all sides..."

_{Source: Audrey Hepburn, December 12, 2000, Christie's.}

September

Audrey travelled to Dublin, Ireland, with her partner, Robert, to see her dying father.

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

October

16th – Audrey's father, Joseph Victor Anthony Hepburn-Ruston, passed away in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland, at age 90. 🕊️"He was joyous. Maybe not a warm father, but a joking father. He had his horses and spoke 13 languages—would take her gliding. He was a wonderful gliding pilot."
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer, her son

_{Source: Wikitree; Marion Milne, 2014, Darcey Bussell's Looking for Audrey, Matchlight.}

TIMELINE

1981

November

12th – William Holden passed away in his apartment in Santa Monica, California. While intoxicated, he slipped on a rug and hit his forehead on a bedside table, which led him to bleed to death. 🕊️Holden starred in Sabrina and Paris When It Sizzles with Audrey. They had a brief affair while filming Sabrina, and he considered her the love of his life.He also dated Audrey's dear friend, Capucine. Even though their relationship had long ended, he left $50,000 in his will to her.

_{Source: Wikipedia; Barry Paris, Audrey Hepburn, 1996, Penguin Publishing Group.}

TIMELINE

1982

September

21st – Audrey and Andrea Dotti officially divorced.

Larry King: "Why did they break up?"Sean: "That's a difficult question. I know the answer, infidelity."Larry King: "On his part?"Sean: "Yes. Yes. And I think she knew from the very beginning who he was, yet I think she dreamed and hoped that somehow she could change that. And I think she was gravely disappointed when she realized she couldn't."

_{Source: Larry King Live 2003.}

TIMELINE

1983

Month

xx – xx

TIMELINE

1984

February

10th – Audrey's ex-husband, Mel Ferrer, worked hard on his 18-acre farm, where he grew and harvested avocado and lemon from his Carpenteria ranch.

Mel with his wife, Elizabeth "Lisa" Ferrer, at home on his ranch in Carpinteria, a small seaside city in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California.

_{Source: Getty Images Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5.}

Audrey and her partner Robert Wolders stayed at Connie Wald’s house in Beverly Hills.

_{Source: Charles Higman, Audrey: The Life of Audrey Hepburn, 1984, MacMillion Publishing Company.}

20th – Photograph shows a beautiful Audrey Hepburn attending the St. John's Crystal Ball at the Century Plaza. This is the first Hollywood party in approximately 25 years that the reclusive actress and humanitarian has attended. The fundraiser for St. John's hospital raised more than $1.5 million dollars and was attended by numerous Hollywood dignitaries. Photograph dated February 20, 1984.https://tessa2.lapl.org/digital/collection/photos/id/33000/rec/5

August

26th – Audrey Hepburn's mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, passed away. 🕊️

"I was lost without my mother. She had been my sounding board, my conscience. She was not the most affectionate person; in fact, there were times when I thought she was cold, but she loved me in her heart, and I knew that all along. I never got that feeling from my father, unfortunately."
- Audrey Hepburn

From New York, American writer and director of plays and films Garson Kanin and his wife, actress Ruth Gordon, sent their letter of condolences on Ella’s recent passing.Audrey mailed them her mother’s funeral card with a note:

Dearest Ruth and Gar,Thank you for your tenderness♡ Audrey

November

30th – Roy Moseley was working on writing the first biography of actor Rex Harrison and requested Audrey for her input. She responded on her La Paisible stationery.Dear Mr. Mosely,Thank you for your kind letter. I am afraid I cannot 'comment' for your book unless it were at Rex's own personal request. I love and respect him too much to do anything that might not be according to his wishes.Sincerely
Audrey Hepburn

TIMELINE

1985

December

22nd – Sean Hepburn Ferrer married Italian designer Marina Spadafora, though the marriage lasted until 1989. Audrey and her partner, Robert Wolders, attended the ceremony at St. Peter's Church in Los Angeles, and Mel Ferrer was accompanied by his wife, Lisa. To commemorate Sean's big day, Audrey and Mel danced together as the parents of the groom.

_{Source: Timeless Audrey Hepburn; Barry Paris, Audrey Hepburn, 1996, Penguin Publishing Group.}

TIMELINE

1986

January

24th – On Via Ceracchi, Roma headed paper, Audrey wrote to her stepmother, Fidelma, about Sean's marriage."... on the 22 Dec in L.A... I adore my little Italian daughter in law... Kisses, Audrey."

_{Source: Christie's.}

March

24th – At the 58th Academy Awards, Audrey presented the Best Costume Design to Emi Wada for the Akira Kurosawa film Ran.

TIMELINE

1987

February

19th – Good Morning America Interview with Audrey and her co-star Robert Wagner to promote their television film Love Among Thieves.

_{Source: IMDB}

May

Audrey, in her bliss, with her two sons—Luca (left) and Sean (right). A huge family holiday in Florida, where most of Robert Wolders’s family lives. Photograph taken by Sean’s then-wife, Marina Spadafora.

“He’s married to an adorable, wonderful little Italian wife who is very pretty and very talented. She’s a fashion designer and very successful, with her own line."
- Audrey Hepburn

_{Source: Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit, 2003, Atria Books; Marilyn Murray Willison, Audrey Hepburn – THE DEVINE MISS HEPBURN, Marie Claire.}

TIMELINE

1988

March

16th – Travelled by an aircraft to her first field mission for UNICEF in Ethiopia.

23rd – Audrey held a press conference at UNICEF's New York headquarters to report on her three-day trip to drought-stricken areas in Ethiopia.

"In Ethiopia, I went to the orphanage in Mecalee, five hundred children, whose parents died in the drought of 1985 ... which is run by Father Chasade of the Catholic Church. It was he who in desperation said, 'if you can't send me food for my children, then send me the spades to dig their graves.'"
- Audrey Hepburn

April

21st – UNICEF team member and friend, Christa Roth, drove Audrey and her partner Robert Wolders to the Geneva airport for a flight to Ankara, Turkey.

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

24th – They arrived back to Geneva.

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

June

10th – Interviewed by Terry Wogan. Video unavailable.

_{Source: IMDB}

September

Reunited with her nanny, Greta Hanley, that raised her from infancy to six years old in Belgium."Greta had heard that my mother was coming to Dublin and showed up at the hotel. Upon hearing Greta was there, my mother rushed through the crowd and into her arms. They were both elated."
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer, her son

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

23rd – Audrey co-hosted the first International Danny Kaye Awards with Harry Belafonte at the MECC building in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

October

15th – Audrey landed at the Maiquetia airport on behalf of UNICEF to talk about early childhood education projects, especially in the poorest areas of Caracas, Venezuela.

_{Source: Robert Matzen, September 28, 2021, Warrior: Audrey Hepburn, GoodKnight Books.}

November

Interviewed on the UK Sunday Sunday show. Hosted by Gloria Hunniford.

_{Source: Rare Audrey Hepburn}

TIMELINE

1989

May

15th – Production of Steven Spielberg's Always begins. Audrey only had two weeks of filming.

_{Source: AFI Catalog.}

July

7th – Interviewed by Terry Wogan on her stardom, and her role as the ambassador for UNICEF.

_{Source: 1989: AUDREY HEPBURN on becoming a star | Wogan | Classic Movie Interviews | BBC Archive}

TIMELINE

1990

January

20th – Audrey is awarded the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 47th Annual Golden Globe Awards for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment" at The Beverly Hilton, Los Angeles, California. Presented by Gregory Peck, her friend and co-star of Roman Holiday.

_{Source: Audrey Hepburn Wins Cecil B. Demille Award - Golden Globes 1990; Wikipedia.}

26th – Audrey interviewed by Phil Donahue, where they discussed her experience in WWII, her relationship with her father, her Hollywood career, and more.

_{Source: Audrey Hepburn interview on Donahue 1990; IMDB.}

March

1st – Audrey wrote the introduction for the book titled Betrayal: A Report on Violence Towards Children in Today's World by Caroline Moorehead.

"As we move into the twenty-first century, there is much to reflect upon. We look around us and see that the promises of yesterday have to come to pass. People still live in abject poverty, people are still hungry, people still struggle to survive. And among these people we see the children, always the children: their enlarged bellies, their sad eyes, their wise faces that show the suffering, all the suffering they have endured in their short years.""They are children living in tents in the desert, in homes that have become bombed-out shells ravaged by years of war, in the streets, subway station, rice fields. Children living in decaying orphanages, over-crowded hospitals, and abandoned tenements.""During the past years I have traveled the world and seen these children, so many of them, leading lives of tremendous pain. And yet, they retain their sweetness and their patience; their eyes reflect a deeper understanding, an awareness that this is not as it should be. They deserve better - a life of security and opportunity and freedom and peace of mind. Most of them have never experienced such a life, but they sense its absence. The eyes say it all... And ironically, as we move into another century, perhaps that is what ultimately unites us as a world: the fact that, no matter how prosperous a nation, how developed, all share the plight and embarrassment of having so many suffering children. We are united by our neglect, our abuse, our absence of love. Have we forgotten about the children, and thus forsaken the next generation?""UNICEF is committed to these children; our mission is to bring their condition to the world's attention. We are determined not to forget about them, not to let them disappear into abstract political discourse. By bringing them to life in words, our hope is to keep them alive in reality."

17th – Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre, known as Capucine, a French actress and great friend of Audrey's, passed away. 🕊️She suffered from deep depression and ended her life by jumping off from her eighth-floor apartment in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. Capucine was near penniless when she passed, yet in her will, she wants her home to be sold and the money to be divided between two charities: the Red Cross and UNICEF for Audrey to manage.

TIMELINE

1991

March

_{Courtesy of In the Company of Legends.}

9th – Audrey appeared on the Great Performances segment of "The Fred Astaire Songbook."Text from In the Company of Legends:We persuaded her to host “The Fred Astaire Songbook,” which we were producing for public television, and shot all her material in November 1990 on location in Geneva, Switzerland.From Chapter 22 of “In the Company of Legends”:“Audrey and Robert Wolders arrived at the Intercontinental in their own car and I met them in front of the hotel. She was wearing a red coat and slacks and no jewelry. She was as beautiful as I had expected her to be, and I felt comfortable with her immediately. I led her and Rob up to the suite where David and the crew were setting up. She had brought several shirts and sweaters from which to choose. One was a simple blue and white striped blouse. Another was a pale pink sweater, which I thought suited her perfectly.”

_{Source: In the Company of Legend's Facebook, IMDB}

October

_{Picture above is with her friend and collaborator Hubert de Givenchy.}

21st – Audrey and her partner Robert Wolders attends "The Night of the 40 Years of Givenchy" at the Palais Galliera in Paris, France.

_{Holding hands with designer Yves Saint Laurent.}

TIMELINE

1992

March

22nd – Audrey won a Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

_{Source: Audrey Hepburn’s acceptance speech in 1992; Wikipedia.}

September

29th – Audrey held a press conference in London after her return from Somalia.

TIMELINE

1993

January

17th – Her last photographs, here she was with her "best friend" and son Sean Hepburn Ferrer.

20th – Audrey Hepburn passed away peacefully in her beloved home, La Paisible, Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland. She remained in her home until the burial. 🕊️

“God has a most beautiful new angel.”
- Elizabeth Taylor, actress and friend“Her death is a painful irreplaceable loss for her family, friends, for children everywhere and UNICEF. The children of the world have a lost a true friend, and an important and eloquent advocate.”
- James Grant, director of UNICEF“It’s very sad. A silver bell has been silenced.”
- George Peppard, co-star in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

24th – Audrey was buried in the cemetery at Tolochenaz-sur-Morges.In attendance: Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Luca Dotti, Robert Wolders, Mel Ferrer and his wife, Lisa, Ian Quarles von Ufford, Hubert de Givenchy, Alain Delon, Roger Moore, pastor Maurice Eindiguer, UNICEF executives, and residents of Tolochenaz.

March

29th – Audrey was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her humanitarian efforts. Presented by friend Gregory Peck at the 65th Annual Academy Awards. Audrey's son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, accepted the award on her behalf.

Her second husband, Andrea Dotti, personally reached out to Brucker and his Quartet to play their “Audrey” song at the memorial service at the UN Headquarters.They had no idea that she would be aware of the song.“My wife listened to it every night before she went to bed, and if she was walking through the garden, she’d listen to it on earphones,” Andrea shared.Before her passing, Audrey responded with a letter to jazz publicist Peter Levinson, who mailed her a copy of a reissued compact disc of Brubeck Time.19 March ’92Dear Peter,
Thank you for such a lovely gift, I am thrilled to have the Brubeck C.D. with ‘My Song,’ the ultimate compliment. You letter is so lovely, and I am most grateful for all your kindness.Warmest Wishes,
Audrey Hepburn

_{Source: Doug Ramsey, Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond, June 24th, 2013, Parkside Publications, Inc.}

June

7th – In New York City, the United Nations ceremony was held in the UN Economic and Social Council chamber in honor of Audrey Hepburn and her work as a UNICEF ambassador for children.Brubeck’s alto saxophonist, Bobby Militello, played the song “Audrey” perfectly—note for note, inflection for inflection.

_{Source: Steven Cerra/Jazz Profiles.}

After

Adieu, My Love

"All of us who loved Audrey feel she left us much too young. The fact is that any age would have been too young. Our only consolation is that her life was full and complete, distinguished by its humanity and serenity.""In the six years since she is gone I have become ever more aware of how many lives Audrey touched. I am moved to find that to many she is a reflection of what we hold most dear; kindness, generosity, charity and humility. People loved her for the right reasons, and she was deserving of that love. I consider myself blessed to have been allowed to discover how deep her soul was in its total commitment to life.""Audrey sensed very early in her life and career that self-worth based on fame or beauty is very short lived and so she remained forever herself-realistic, aware and caring. When she observed injustice she used her presence and energies to draw attention to those issues she felt deeply about. Especially to what ultimately became her greatest concern, the welfare of children. She worked for UNICEF because she was touched by the role they had played in her own life, but it wasn't just benevolence on her part. There was a passion to it.""When she chose to go where the conflict was the greatest she didn't go as 'Audrey Hepburn, film star', but as a woman, as a mother, as someone who cared profoundly about her fellow-man. There is no doubt that Audrey's heart felt pleasure on behalf of children helped raising the world's consciousness but, as she would remind us, we need to do much more.Her message was clear - heartbreakingly clear - the neglect and humiliation of a child by adults is a killer of trust, of hope and of possibility.""Audrey said she didn't believe in collective guilt but she did believe in collective responsibility. By taking on her part of that responsibility she proved that compassion is not an empty word and that kindness is not an illusion. Audrey never strove or hoped to leave a lasting legacy with her films, she was too modest for that. But what I think she would have wanted, had she been given more time, would have been to continue her work on behalf of children because she knew what is a task with much to be accomplished. The knowledge of having inspired those close to her to continue that task would have been greatest reward."- Robert Wolders, her partner

Alas, Her First Grandchild

Emma Kathleen Hepburn Ferrer was born in May 1994 in Morges, Switzerland, to Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Leila Flannigan. She shares the same second name as her grandmother, and it is the very name Audrey would have given if she had a daughter. Emma appeared on the 2020 documentary Audrey with her father, Sean Hepburn Ferrer. She is now an artist living in Italy—her first solo show was in January 2025 in New York.

UNICEF

In 1988, Audrey Hepburn became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and witnessed unspeakable circumstances:“I … saw mothers and their children who had walked for ten days, even three weeks, looking for food, settling onto the desert floor into makeshift camps where they may die. Horrible. That image is too much for me. The ‘Third World’ is a term I don’t like very much, because we’re all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering.”She advocated and helped raise millions for mothers and children to have access to basic rights, food, vaccinations, medical treatment, and an education through the UNICEF programs until her passing in 1993. Her example to bring awareness of the plight of children carves the path for talents to become ambassadors, such as Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Collins, Millie Bobby Brown, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Penelope Cruz, Susan Sarandon, Emma Watson, Anne Curtis, and her granddaughter, Emma Ferrer.