Marilyn Monroe: In London for a photo shoot with Laurence Olivier, Monroe begged to meet Her Majesty | books | entertainment

It was the night of the Royal Leadership Show and the Queen and Princess Margaret were due to enjoy the premiere of The Battle Of The River Plate. Inside, celebrities eagerly waited for Her Majesty’s arrival. Several weeks ago, the female guests were told that under no circumstances should they wear short gowns to meet the Queen.

The journalists took the opportunity to ask the participants what they would wear, and most of them were coming.

Except for Marilyn Monroe. Instead of revealing her choice, the actress laughed, politely declaring that the dress was between her and the tailor, and that everyone would see it on that big night.

And now there she was, waiting in an upstairs foyer, nervously licking her lips as she put on the long-awaited dress. The dress was made of shiny gold, and was so low-cut that much of Marilyn’s bosom was fully on display. Tight-fitting, with spaghetti straps, and a fold of material clinging between her breasts, the revealing dress came with a gold gown and platform shoes.

As the Queen and Princess Margaret made their way down the celebrity reception line, Marilyn grumbled and spoke enthusiastically about the mature star Victor.

Finally, Her Majesty the Queen reached the actress and took her hand. Marilyn sank to the floor in a well-exercised bend and then the two talked about the fact that they were near neighbors – Marilyn lived in Englefield Green, Surrey, while the Queen was in Windsor – and the actress told the Queen about her love of cycling in Windsor Great Park.

As Her Majesty progressed, Marilyn spoke to Princess Margaret about the stage and how much I enjoyed being in Britain. After that, she told reporters: “The Queen is very kind-hearted. She radiates sweetness.

For Marilyn, the evening was a dream come true. She had arrived in England on 14 July 1956, with her husband, playwright Arthur Miller, to produce The Sleeping Prince (later The Prince And The Showgirl), with Sir Laurence Olivier. However, the trip didn’t quite go as she had hoped or planned.

Eager to be known as a serious actress, Marilyn believed that working with the esteemed actress, later Baron Olivier, would ensure her future in cinema and theater. Olivier, on the other hand, was having a rough time with his second wife, Vivien Leigh, who played Monroe with him in the theatrical version of The Sleeping Prince.

He was trying to get a Macbeth movie out of Earth, and he thought directing and starring in romantic comedies would provide a welcome distraction.

Unfortunately, things did not go as expected for either party. Although Marilyn hired him through her own production company, Olivier took his role as director so seriously that many actors and crew assumed it was the other way around.

He insisted on weeks of workouts, introducing her to what I felt was a nurturing method. Olivier explained that Marilyn’s acting style was very different from the rest of the actors, and suggested that it would take some time to get used to the way they worked.

Marilyn was shocked at what she thought was his arrogant attitude, and from that moment on her defenses were ratcheting up. Things didn’t get any better when she asked the director for a scene and was just told, “Be hot.”

When Olivier suggested that she whiten her teeth, Marilyn was furious.

Then her drama coach, Paula Strasberg, was upset that Olivier seemed to have taken all the close-up shots. Meanwhile, everyone was unhappy with Marilyn’s insistence that Strasberg be on the set.

Despite her fame, Marilyn’s nerves were notorious, and her time in Britain was no exception. Journalist Maxine Blok mused: “This mistrust manifests itself in two ways.” “She must be surrounded by a retinue, and, secondly, in her chronic retardation … her soul does not fit her body.”

The actors and crew were standing in full costume, wondering when their main lady would arrive. For most productions, she appeared late, and on some occasions, she did not appear at all.

One morning, a young assistant was sent home to Englefield Green, only to be told that Marilyn had gone for an early morning walk. When he met her at the park, she denied receiving a summons for that day.

To make matters worse, the relationship between Marilyn and her husband, Arthur Miller. He was known to be quiet and private, and had no real interest in making films, except for being married to an actress.

However, from the moment he arrived in the UK, he was thrust into the public eye whenever he left home, and was escorted by Marilyn and the security team when he stayed home. She wanted him to be with her, but she seemed to resent any advice he gave her.

She came to believe, at least for a time, that Miller was on Olivier’s side. Unable to share his fears with his fickle wife, the playwright wrote in a notebook she found six weeks into the trip, taking another blow to her mental health, resulting in more time away from the filming location and a deeper dependence on prescription medications.

Marilyn took solace in the little things that came her way. talking to schoolchildren who crowded around her driveway; riding her bike through the park and Englefield Green; Secret tours to London to see Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus; Shopping for books. and indulgence in her growing infatuation with the Queen.

From the very beginning of the trip, Marilyn questioned her advertising agent about the best places to shop like the British upper classes, and in particular the Queen. Before long, she bought gloves from Cornelia James and Harrods, a Rose Geranium perfume from Floris, a cloak from The Simpsons of Piccadilly, and a robe from Liberty.

All the stores and brands she picked have one thing in common – they were all favorites of the Queen and the royal family.

Marilyn was so intimidated that she asked one of her assistants, PR man Alan Arnold, to arrange tea at Buckingham Palace. However, when he took the order to Olivier, he scrutinized it, considered it inappropriate for Marilyn to meet with Her Majesty, and dropped the order from the to-do list.

Despite Olivier’s protests, Buckingham Palace thought it was a great idea for the two women to meet. Tea with His Majesty was out of the question, but an invitation to the performance of the royal command was issued.

While it may not have been a relaxed conversation about scones and darjeeling in the palace, meeting in the theater was the best thing, and Marilyn was never happier during her four months in Great Britain.

On November 20, 1956, Marilyn, Arthur, Olivier and Vivien Leigh stood in the departure hall at London Airport, grumbling about their great respect for each other. While the two stars were kissing each other on the cheek, journalists asked about rumors of fights at the location of The Sleeping Prince.

“No fear,” Marilyn insisted. “Just the kind of agreements and disagreements one always gets. I have no idea how the class stories will develop.”

She then added that, despite everything, she enjoyed working with Olivier and was looking forward to returning to England in the future. Oliver nodded in fake agreement, and puffed his cigarette.

When another reporter asked about her favorite part of the trip, Marilyn did not hesitate at all. “The most exciting thing for me was meeting the Queen and my new husband’s play, [A View From The Bridge]She said.

Marilyn never returned to the UK, and six years later she died. After her death, Olivier refused to be drawn into a long discussion about his former star, but he volunteered one theory.

She was, as he put it, “the complete victim of ballet and sensuality. She has been exploited beyond anyone’s means.”

• When Marilyn Met the Queen: A Life of Marilyn Monroe is showing in England by Michelle Morgan (Constable, £20) now. To get a free P&P in the UK, call Express Bookshop on 020 3176 3832 or visit expressbookshop.com