These Timeless Leading Ladies Are Considered To Be The Most Beautiful Women Of All Time

This article appeared in spellrock.com and has been published here with permission.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, making any list of the most beautiful people in history up for serious debate. Besides being lookers, some of these women made contributions that went far beyond their beauty. Others seem to be less confident of their place in this world, allegedly not understanding why men found them so attractive. With that in mind, being this beautiful is both a blessing and a curse. Many became successful thanks to their looks, while others found it got in the way of being taken seriously. If we've piqued your curiosity, check out which women we have selected!

Marilyn Monroe

The title of the most beautiful woman in the world will always up for debate, so we brought together some of the best candidates for you to decide!

No list would be complete without Marilyn Monroe, who is still one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world, even half a century after her death at the young age of 36. "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring," she said, and she lived by those words.

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly only worked in Hollywood for some five years before she married Monaco's Prince Ranier III, yet her elegance solidified her stardom as one of the greatest Hollywood personas of her age.

Kelly would never act again after becoming a princess of Monaco, but this freed her up to concentrate on philanthropy and promoting the arts. Sadly, she passed away in a car accident that was caused by a stroke she suffered while driving her daughter. Her daughter luckily survived the crash. She is remembered for her class and elegance, both on and off the screen.

Claudia Cardinale

Italian-Tunisian Claudia Cardinale's career began when she won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" contest, which earned her a trip to Italy. Although she struggled with Italian (as the Sicilian she knew from her parents is quite different), her beauty brought her offers to model and act.

Her voice was actually dubbed over in the early part of her career due to her raspy tone and a French accent. She is an outspoken supporter of women's rights, becoming a UNESCO goodwill ambassador for the defense of women in 2000.

Audrey Hepburn

With her unique looks, Audrey Hepburn was launched to stardom after starring in Roman Holiday opposite Gregory Peck, a role which garnered her an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Later in life, she concentrated on philanthropy, and she was honored for her humanitarian work both during and after her life. She succumbed to a rare form of abdominal cancer in 1993. Proof of her lasting legacy is evident in her appearances in popular culture throughout the decades since her death.