By Nic Baird
When Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe died she had only been married to Joe Dimaggio for nine months. Despite a tragically short romance, the baseball legend put in a standing order for long-stemmed roses to be delivered to Monroe’s grave three times a week for the next 20 years. The flame of romance continues to burn among the celebrity twosomes nowadays. On-screen or off, many stars continue to enthrall us with gestures of love. Over 24 million of us tuned in to watch Will and Kate’s first kiss as prince and princess. There’s still passion in the hearts of the rich and famous. Sometimes it makes our eyes water, and sometimes it’s so cheesy we want to throw up, but we’re definitely interested:
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1. Harry Styles: Styles sings about his “Last First Kiss” as a member of the boy-band One Direction. But is he as passionate out of the studio? ”My mum tells me I’m a romantic because if she has a bad day at work, I run a bath for her when she gets home and cook dinner, ” he said. Besides his mom’s testimony, Styles gets credit for dating hopeless romantic and songstress  Taylor Swift. This year, for Swift’s 23rd birthday, Styles bought 23 custom cupcakes including ones filled with candy floss and a mint liqueur center. A source told Radar Online: “Once he likes a girl, he’s all in. He’s very romantic, long emails, surprise gifts, meticulously planned dates.” Styles and his (now former) country music starlet will both be touring this year.
2. Katy Perry:The singer’s romantic side came out during her past marriage to Russell Brand. The two were known for casual strolls and bike rides together. Katy Perry even bought her comedian husband a lilac-colored Bentley for Valentine’s Day. Perry started introducing singer John Mayer as her “boyfriend” recently, and the courtship has been an exciting romance. Cute moments like when they coordinate outfits and Halloween costumes show a playful side to Perry’s affections. She puts herself into the dates, like when she took Mayer to visit her hometown of Santa Barbara last month for a romantic tour of The Old Mission. Perry’s a fool for love, or maybe just a sucker for romance.
3. Nicolas Cage: Before he was known to “kick-ass” portraying various superheroes, this veteran actor was all about the romance in classics like Moonstruck, City of Angels, and It Could Happen To You. He unsuccessfully proposed to actress Patricia Arquette shortly after meeting her. He was turned down, but was given a chance to prove his love with a list of impossible tasks, like finding a non-existent black orchid. But when Cage returned with reclusive author J. D. Salinger’s autograph, Arquette gave him a second look. Since 2004, Cage has been married to Alice Kim. He did the impossible again when he convinced the tribal council of the Havasupai Indian reservation in the Grand Canyon to allow the actor to shoot scenes for Next on the canyon floor, which is the same place where Cage and Kim had their first date. Nostalgia and romance are two things Cage can’t resist.
What romantic gestures have blown you away? Post your favorites below.
