It would be nice to think of Audrey Hepburn as the real-life Princess Anne, exactly the same character whom we first met and fell in love with in Roman Holiday. But in reality, Audrey's life was far more complex and compelling than any Hollywood movie. What she planned never materialized. What she couldn't even dream of is what actually happened. And that is how we came to know her, be captivated by her, and why we are still in love with her. The real Audrey Hepburn story is one of a reluctant celebrity who finally came to understand the value of her fame when she took the spotlight off herself and shone it directly on the faces of the world's children. Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born on May 4, 1929, on the second floor of 48 Rue Keyenveld in the Ixelles district of Brus-sels, Belgium. Her parents, Ella van Heemstra and Joseph Ruston, were married three years earlier and were raising Ella's two sons from her first marriage. At the time of Audrey's birth, her half brothers, Alexander and lan, were eight and four years old. By all appearances Audrey's parents seemed very well suited for each other. Both shared a common interest in poli-it, and culture, and were highly intelligent and worldly individuals.