Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe at the Savoy hotel, in London, July 1956.

When Marilyn Went British

In a 1956 trip to England, Marilyn Monroe sowed the seeds of divorce with Arthur Miller, battled with Laurence Olivier on set, and snagged an audience with the Queen

By Michelle Morgan

In 1956, just six years before she died, Marilyn Monroe announced a trip to England. She would be acting alongside Laurence Olivier in The Prince and the Showgirl, with Olivier directing as well.

The movie was something of a fairy tale, revolving around a relationship between a showgirl (Monroe) and a prince regent (Olivier). It was the first project for Monroe’s film company. The whole thing looked fantastic on paper.