Audrey Hepburn and Marc Bolan among blue plaques honourees
The London scheme, from English Heritage, will also celebrate novelist Barbara Pym, artist Graham Sutherland, ballerina Alicia Markova and Jamaican writer and campaigner Una Marson.
Belgium-born Hepburn, who will be commemorated with a plaque in Mayfair, was sent to a boarding school in England by her parents Irish-English businessman, James Hepburn Ruston, and a Dutch-Hungarian-French noblewoman, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra.
She landed her Oscar-winning role as Princess Ann in 1953 romance film Roman Holiday while living in Mayfair, after spending her early years in London.
Hepburn also has four Academy Award best actress nods for romantic comedies Sabrina and Breakfast At Tiffany's, drama The Nun's Story, and horror Wait Until Dark.
Shortly before she died aged 63 in 1993, she was presented the British Academy's Special Award by the Princess Royal.
English Heritage curatorial director, Matt Thompson, said: '2025 marks an exciting year for the Blue Plaques Scheme as we honour these outstanding individuals who transformed the cultural fabric of London.
'From literature and art to dance and music, these figures helped shape the London we know today. Their contributions not only had a profound impact on their fields but also continue to inspire generations.'
T Rex frontman Bolan will be marked with a plaque at one of his west London addresses, while English National Ballet co-founder Markova is set to be honoured at her childhood home in Muswell Hill.
Get It On hitmaker Bolan died aged 29 in 1977 when his car smashed into a tree in south-west London.
More London locations will be picked for Marson, claimed by the BBC to be its first black producer on the payroll who would go on to develop Caribbean Voices, part of the Calling The West Indies series, as well as Excellent Women author Pym.
Sutherland – known for his controversial 1954 portrait of Winston Churchill that was later destroyed – will be honoured at his childhood home in the suburbs of London.
An episode of Netflix royal drama The Crown revolved around the creation of the painting, and last year Sutherland's preparatory painting of Churchill was sold by Sotheby's auction house for £660,000.
The blue plaques, which need the owner of the building to approve them, are set to be installed throughout this year.
The markings on buildings began in 1866 and had been run by English Heritage since 1986.
In 2024, the scheme was officially expanded outside of the capital, with the woman credited as the first black matron in the NHS, Daphne Steele, becoming the principal honouree with a Yorkshire plaque.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Phi Beta Sigma welcomes celebrities as honorary members
During its 2025 International Conclave in Tampa, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. honored eight distinguished leaders with honorary membership, including rapper Special Ed, Gospel artist Fred Hammond, and actor Leon Robinson. Each inductee was recognized for their impactful contributions to their fields and their commitment to community uplift. The 2025 Honorary Inductees Are: Dr. Howard Fuller – Civil rights activist and education reform advocateEdward K. Archer – Hip-hop artist best known as Special EdLeon Robinson – Acclaimed actor (The Five Heartbeats, Cool Runnings)Dr. George Koonce – Former NFL player and university executiveFred Hammond – Grammy-winning gospel music iconDr. John K. Pierre – Chancellor of Southern University Dave Huie – Fashion entrepreneur and cultural marketing visionaryDr. DeForest Soaries – Former Secretary of State for New Jersey According to Phi Beta Sigma's official announcement, these distinguished men were extended membership not simply for their stature, but because their lives and legacies reflect the very ideals the fraternity holds sacred-Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service. Through their impactful works and unwavering commitment to uplifting communities, they exemplify what it means to be a Sigma Man. Founded in 1914 at Howard University, Phi Beta Sigma champions the motto "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity." The fraternity's honorary membership tradition continues to highlight individuals whose achievements and leadership inspire excellence in education, music, public service, and the arts. This year's class showcases the fraternity's ongoing mission to celebrate those who serve, lead, and uplift others with integrity and purpose. The post Phi Beta Sigma welcomes celebrities as honorary members appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Linkin Park talks Emily Armstrong backlash, the Chester Bennington song they won't play
Linkin Park has been through the rock 'n' roll gauntlet, but the musical warriors are forging ahead. The Grammy-winning alt-rock group, previously fronted by lead singer Chester Bennington, opened up about its latest lineup with co-lead singer Emily Armstrong in an interview with The Guardian published Friday, July 18. The Dead Sara frontwoman was enlisted by Linkin Park after the band ended its indefinite hiatus following Bennington's 2017 death. However, Linkin's changing of the guard was not without controversy. The group's selection of Armstrong sparked backlash among fans, in part due to Armstrong's alleged ties to the Church of Scientology and convicted "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson. Even Bennington's family, namely mother Susan Eubanks and son Jaime Bennington, criticized the lineup change. "I was a little bit naive about it, to be honest," Armstrong, 39, told the British outlet of the controversy. "But I'm old enough to know the difference between real life and the internet." Offering his take on the backlash, co-lead singer and rhythm guitarist Mike Shinoda suggested that the selection of a female vocalist may have drawn the ire of fans because listeners were "used to Linkin Park being six guys and the voice of a guy leading this song." "There were people who lashed out at Emily, and it was really because she wasn't a guy," Shinoda, 48, said. "They were just so uncomfortable with what it was that they chose a ton of things to complain about. They're pointing in 10 different directions, saying: 'This is why I'm mad, this is why the band sucks.'" "From Zero," Linkin Park's first album with Armstrong, was released in November and peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. The band is currently playing on the From Zero World Tour, which is expected to return to North America on July 29 with a show in Brooklyn, New York. Linkin Park album review: Rockers roar back as they start 'From Zero' with singer Emily Armstrong Why Linkin Park won't play 'One More Light' on tour Linkin Park is honoring its musical legacy on the road, but there are some boundaries. The band, whose early hits "In the End," "Crawling," "Numb" and "Breaking the Habit" helped define 2000s alternative rock, pays tribute to its iconic catalog in the setlist for the From Zero World Tour. "We all wanted our show to be really good vibes," Shinoda told The Guardian. "I want you walking away feeling like, this was such a wonderful, special, fun night." Chester Bennington's mom 'repelled' by Linkin Park performing with new singer To that end, the band is refraining from performing a handful of songs that Shinoda explained would "feel weird playing" onstage, such as "One More Light." The song serves as the title track for Bennington's final album with the band (Bennington died by suicide two months after the album's May 2017 release). Shinoda said the song was originally written "for a woman at the label that we worked with who passed away," but fans have since dedicated it as a tribute to Bennington. "After Chester passed, the world decided that it was about him," Shinoda said. "And so, that's just too sad to play." Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY
Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Newton residents react to ‘Line Gate' during Italian American festival
Tim Strayer, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said that the move was 'tone deaf.' Advertisement 'There may be legitimate reasons to paint it yellow, but the timing and the engagement with the community was very poor,' Strayer said after a 10 a.m. Mass at Our Lady Help of Christians Church. Around 2:30 a.m. on July 16, on the first day of Festa, police Lieutenant Amanda Henrickson Advertisement Although some residents found the removal of the Italian flag stripes disrespectful, many want to move past it and focus on the festival. Chuck Proia, 57, who has been chairperson of the festival for the last 20 years, said that he thinks of the event as 'Christmas in July.' 'I was afraid for a long time that the line controversy was going to overshadow this event,' Proia said. Around 12:30 p.m., people drank beer, ate pizza, and wore matching white shirts emblazoned with 'The Lake,' a nickname for Nonantum, even though there is no lake here. Some volunteers were preparing for the 2 p.m. procession down Adams Street, where the statue of the Madonna del Carmine from Our Lady Help of Christians was carried through the neighborhood. During the procession, the North End Marching Band, dressed in red shirts, played snare drums. Spectators pinned dollar bills to the statue, which will benefit the St. Mary of Carmen Society. Michael Panella, 72, who grew up in Newton but now lives in Needham, said he was upset when he found out that city officials had painted over the stripes on Adams Street. 'It was disgraceful … those Italian colors have been on the street for decades,' Panella said. Panella's parents immigrated from Avellino, a town near Naples in Italy. He said his father encouraged him to speak English and he regrets that he is not fluent in Italian. Panella said that the festival and the Italian character of Nonantum were an important part of retaining his parents' culture. Advertisement Michael Panza, 56, has lived on Adams Street for 20 years in a house with a driveway that's painted red, white, and green. He was welcoming neighbors to his backyard to share food before the procession. Panza said that he and his neighbors were kept up until 3 a.m. on June 27 when city officials repainted the street. 'They were out here from 10:30 at night to 3:30 in the morning with backpack blowers as loud as can be,' Panza said. He said he was skeptical about the mayor's claim that double yellow lines were needed to make the street safer. Michaela Carrieri, 28, of Brookline, came to Adams Street for the procession with her cousin, a first-time visitor to the United States from Abruzzo, Italy. Carrieri's father grew up in Nonantum, and she would attend the festival every year as a child. 'My cousin's never been a part of this festival, and this is something that I've done my whole life,' Carrieri said. 'I just wanted to show him what we do in America.' She said she found it interesting that Adams Street was repainted, pointing out that multiple streets in Nonantum, not just Adams, have a red, white, and green stripe in the middle. 'It's been here for decades,' Carrieri said. 'I'm not too immersed into what is occurring, but I do find it interesting.' Carmen Pancerella, who has lived in Newton for 28 years, said she was sad when she saw that the lines had been painted over, especially since people generally repaint the red, white, and green stripes right before Festa so the street is 'bright and vibrant.' Advertisement Pancerella, whose grandparents immigrated from Calabria, Italy, said that it was important to maintain the stripes on Adams Street and the annual celebration of the festival. 'I like seeing tradition because it's so easy for it to go away in today's world,' Pancerella said. Angela Mathew can be reached at
