She was born in Macon but died in New York City as a princess

Bob Hope said that Patricia Wilder was born with “chameleon blood.” That might explain her social assent from being born one of 13 children in Macon to ultimately the wife of a prince.

Wilder, born in 1913, left Macon to become a showgirl in Bob Hope’s show at the Palace Theater in New York. Wilder had the Southern habit of addressing everyone as “honeychile” and it was here that she gained her nickname.

Wilder left New York for Hollywood but didn’t stay long before returning to New York to become a social “It Girl,” known for her parties. Though some say she was the inspiration for Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” this is untrue.

After a failed marriage and several torrid love affairs — including ones with the Egyptian King Farouk and a young John F. Kennedy — Wilder married an Austrian prince and eventually died in New York City in 1995.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 11:39 AM with the headline "She was born in Macon but died in New York City as a princess."