Rare photos of Princess Diana, Marilyn Monroe, and more iconic women
What makes a woman a true icon? Is it her charm or talent? Maybe it’s a confidence that famous women let shine even in photographs, or a sense of style that people around the world strive to emulate. Memorable for their achievements, their fashion sense and their influence, here are 30 rarely seen photos of the most unforgettable and iconic women in popular culture.
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Marilyn Monroe
In the history of iconic women, perhaps none is more recognizable than American actress Norma Jeane Baker, better known as Hollywood bombshell Marilyn Monroe. While often remembered for her romantic exploits, including an alleged affair with President John F. Kennedy, and her tragic death, Monroe was a prolific actress, appearing in nearly 30 films between 1947 and 1962. This photo is from the set of the 1953 comedy How to Marry a Millionaire which co-starred screen legends Betty Grable and Lauren Bacall. The film was also Monroe’s top-grossing movie.
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Princess Diana
Known as the “People’s Princess” because of her global humanitarian efforts and popularity with the public, Princess Diana was married to Prince Charles from 1981 until they divorced in 1996. Considered a fashion icon for her bold, beautiful and evolving style, she was often photographed, even when not on official Royal Family business. Here she’s seen in an elegant off-the-shoulder gown on her way to attend a 1983 charity production of Noël Coward’s play Hay Fever.
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Oprah Winfrey
When Oprah Winfrey’s popular television show ended in 2011, The Guardian writer Latoya Peterson called her a “dynamic woman, a symbol of survival and success,” noting that most people don’t have a memory of a time when Oprah wasn’t a fixture and influencer of popular culture. One of the first African-American billionaires, Winfrey is still an active philanthropist, actress, producer and creator of the OWN network. Known for her enthusiastic yelling, Winfrey is seen here at the premiere of the 2013 film Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which she co-starred in.
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Judy Garland
Singer and actress Judy Garland, most famous for her role as Dorothy in the 1939 Hollywood classic The Wizard of Oz, made a significant cultural impact in her relatively short life. Noted for her “enduring appeal” as much as for her tumultuous career and personal life, Garland started performing at the age of two, and signed her first Hollywood contract when she was 13. This photo was taken in 1969 at the Palladium, the same year the actress died of an accidental overdose at the age of 47.
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Lady Gaga
Pop star and actress Lady Gaga, born Stefani Germanotta, became a fashion and entertainment icon almost as soon as her first single, “Just Dance,” was released in 2008. Known for her boundary-pushing, stylish videos, and memorable fashion choices that run the gamut from bizarrely outlandish to classically chic, the Grammy-winning star is also outspoken about race relations and LGBTQ rights. This photo shows the singer sporting one of her eccentric looks at the 2012 Philip Treacy show during London Fashion Week.
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Elizabeth Taylor
The romantic exploits and multiple marriages of actress Elizabeth Taylor may have made headlines, but the career and influence of the Hollywood star haven’t been forgotten. The star had 67 film and television credits, appeared on the cover of People magazine 14 times, and at the time of her death in 2011 had a jewelry collection estimated to be worth US$150 million. The star appears here in a 1970 photo that captures her chic style and dramatic makeup.
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Rita Moreno
Famous for her role in 1961’s West Side Story, Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno has been breaking ground for Latina performers since her first Broadway appearance in her early teens. One of only 16 performers to claim EGOT status—winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony—Moreno is still performing, appearing currently on the sitcom One Day at a Time. This photo was taken in 1976, the year Moreno starred in the film The Ritz, as well as the TV shows On the Rocks and The Electric Company.
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Grace Kelly
The star of Hitchcock classics Dial M For Murder, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, as well as 10 other films, left Hollywood at the height of her career to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Called “the epitome of elegance” by Town & Country magazine, the actress-turned-princess was true to her name, influencing fashion with her refined style and graceful simplicity. This photo was taken in 1955 at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France, where Kelly first met her future husband.
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Judi Dench
Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench made her stage debut in a 1957 version of Hamlet, and has been a steady presence in stage, television and film productions ever since. The 85-year-old British star has long been admired for her style as well as her grace, and recently made history as the oldest person to be featured on the cover of British Vogue. In this photo, a much younger Dench appears in a 1966 television production of The Stories of D.H. Lawrence: Daughters of the Vicar.
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Meryl Streep
She’s a multiple Oscar winner and one of Hollywood’s most respected stars, but Meryl Streep’s honesty and sense of humour have also made her one of the most iconic women around. Streep is also well known for her activism, including environmental and human rights causes. Here the often playful actress was photographed at a 2003 Equality Now benefit in New York City.
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Julie Andrews
The star of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music has also authored several children’s books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. Praised throughout her years as a stage and film star for her chic style, Andrews is also revered for her beautiful singing voice, which she sadly lost after an operation in 1997. This 1994 photo shows the perennially sunny star dressed elegantly with an exaggerated frown on her face.
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Whitney Houston
After her death in 2012 at the age of 48, Glamourmagazine noted that multi-Grammy Award winner Whitney Houston was not only a music legend, but also known for her “inimitable ladylike elegance, her unmistakable signature style.” The talented hitmaker was a fashion icon in the ’90s, but her impact on ’80s pop culture shouldn’t be forgotten. In this 1985 photo, Houston is photographed in a look that’s both stylish and relaxed.
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Bette Davis
She was a Hollywood icon despite looking and acting different than most of the actresses of her time, and became the first actor, male or female, to earn 10 Oscar nominations. Davis is remembered for her roles in All About Eve, Jezebel and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, as well as her notorious rivalry with Joan Crawford. This 1969 photo of Davis captures her in the middle of her career, which saw her appear in nearly 100 films before her death in 1989.
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Céline Dion
Canadian songstress Céline Dion wrote her first song at age 12, and went on to be nominated for 16 Grammys, winning five. A chart dominator in the ’90s with hits like “The Power of Love,” “My Heart Will Go On” and “Because You Loved Me,” the music legend has more recently been recognized for her fashion sense and chic elegance, and even won a 2018 International Style Icon Award at the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards. Here she is arriving with flair in 2007 at an Italian TV show appearance to promote her album Taking Chances.
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Bette Midler
Bette Midler is one of those multi-talented celebrities to become a theatre, film and music star. Outspoken with her opinions and bold in her fashion choices, Midler is beloved by her fans for her honesty and sense of humour. Here she is in a 1973 photo, taken six years before her breakout role in the movie The Rose, about a female rock star coping with the rigours of a ruthless business. Midler was nominated for an Oscar for the role, and won a Golden Globe.
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Madonna
The Queen of Pop has always embodied the confidence, talent and style that make for a true icon. Known for her innovation and creativity, as well as for her string of hits including “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Vogue” and “Ray of Light,” Madonna has the ability to inspire and constantly reinvent herself, which made her an instant icon when she first rose to fame in the 1980s. This photo of the fashionable star was taken in 2016 as she arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Benefit Celebrating the Opening of Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.
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Brigitte Bardot
Iconic French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot began her career as a model, appearing on the cover of Elle magazine as a teen. Her transition to acting in films like And God Created Woman and Contemptmade her one of the most iconic women of the ’50s and ’60s, and a “muse” for fashion designers Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain and Pierre Cardin. This beguiling black-and-white snapshot shows Bardot relaxing in bed with a dog.
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Aretha Franklin
When famed singer Aretha Franklin died at the age of 76 in 2018, Vogue magazine reminded readers why she was known as “the greatest singer of all time,” “a soaring spirit in the dark” and the “voice of the civil rights movement.” Known for hits like “Respect,” “Chain of Fools” and “Freeway of Love,” Franklin dominated the charts in the 1960s, and her amazing 18 Grammy wins made her one of the most recognizable singers in the world. Here she is in 2014, performing at the Blacks’ Annual Gala at Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.
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Jennifer Lopez
In November of 2020, singer, dancer and actress Jennifer Lopez was honoured with the Icon Award at the E! People’s Choice Awards. To many fans, the award was both overdue and unnecessary, since the star has been continually impressing with her many talents for three decades. In addition to her string of musical hits and ability to wow on screen, J.Lo has been a fashion inspiration since her breakout role in the 1997 film Selena. Here’s a photo from the same year, as the star arrived at the Sony Oscar party.
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Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
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Katharine Hepburn
She was a trendsetter for her choice to adopt “men’s fashion”, such as trousers and jackets, at a time when most famous women wouldn’t consider wearing anything other than skirts and dresses. But rebellious style isn’t the only thing that makes Katharine Hepburn an icon. A master of stage and screen, the Oscar-winning actress starred in many classic films, including Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? and On Golden Pond. Here she is on the set of the 1951 film The African Queen.
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Sophia Loren
Often appearing on lists of the world’s most beautiful women, Italian actress Sophia Loren was at one time criticized by Hollywood executives, who told her that her mouth was too wide, her teeth were too crooked and her nose was too long to make it big. At the age of 86, the star is as glamorous as ever, and still acting in films. Here she is in a 1964 photograph, the same year she starred in the filmsThe Fall of the Roman Empire and Marriage Italian Style.
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Laverne Cox
Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox made history in 2014, becoming the first openly transgender person to receive an Emmy nomination. She went on to be nominated three more times for her role on the series, and has also been praised for her bold and beautiful fashion choices. A longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ issues, the actress is seen here at the 2019 Los Angeles Pride parade.
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Barbra Streisand
In a world where many famous women possess the power to sing and act, perhaps none is as iconic as Barbra Streisand. As one of the few people to have ever earned EGOT status—that is winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony—Streisand has become one of the most legendary women entertainers around. This photo shows Streisand in a 1973 TV special, the same year her famous film The Way We Were was released.
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Kim Kardashian West
Best known as the star of the reality series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, as well as for her curvaceous body and sense of style, Kim Kardashian West is also a hugely successful business mogul. As founder of a cosmetics company, a mobile game and her own line of shapewear, the 40-year-old social media superstar and pop culture influencer is worth an estimated US$780 million. Here she is in a 2017 photo as a participant in the Forbes Women’s Summit.
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Lucille Ball
Best remembered as a television legend thanks to her TV show I Love Lucy, comedian and actress Lucille Ball was also one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood, helming her own studio, Desilu Productions, starting in 1960. Ball started her career as a model in the 1930s, and continued to be noted for her style throughout her career. This photo of the iconic star was taken in 1974, the final year of Ball’s fourth successful television show, Here’s Lucy.
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