When we think of musical theater, we often think of its iconic leading ladies. No list of Broadway divas would be complete without the legendary Julie Andrews. This powerful soprano created iconic roles such as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Queen Guinevere in Camelot.
Beyond her Broadway antics, Julie continues to lead a full life. Many may not know how young she was when she started performing or about her roles as a mother and an activist. Let’s take a deeper look at the lesser-known areas of her life.
Julie Andrews was raised in a show business family. Her mother and stepfather performed in a music hall act. Julie began singing early on, accompanied by her mother. Julie performed her first professional solo at the London Hippodrome in a revue show called Starlight Roof in 1947. At age 13, Julie performed for Queen Elizabeth. This made it even more special when the queen knighted Julie in 2000, making her officially a “dame.”
Julie Andrews is a mother of three daughters: Emma Walton Hamilton, Amy Edwards, and Joanna Edwards. She shared Emma with her first-husband, costume designer Tony Walton, with whom she remained close until his death in 2022. She adopted Amy and Joanna from Vietnam with her second husband, the late director Blake Edwards. Julie considers herself the matriarch of a large blended family, as Blake also had children from previous relationships.
More from LittleThings: Julie Andrews Is Still Sweet As A Spoonful Of Sugar At 81
Julie uses her fame to help others. She worked as a UN goodwill ambassador for women, promoting UNIFEM, an organization that aids low-income women financially. She also has been a lifelong supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.
Julie has also proved her resiliency after pivoting from singing after an operation made her lose her signature voice. She and daughter Emma began writing children’s books together.
To learn more about this remarkable woman, watch this video.
