51. She Made Herself a Monument
Harkness had to do everything in style—even when it came to moving on to the next life. Before she passed, the socialite spent $250,000 to commission a bedazzled urn from none other than Salvador Dali. Ironically nicknamed “The Chalice of Life,” the morbid monument stood right at the intersection between tacky and lavish, just like Rebekah herself. And when the time came to put Harkness into the Chalice of Life, the plot thickened.
52. She Was Self-Absorbed Until the End
Salvador Dali put one touching—and classically narcissistic—detail into “The Chalice of Life.” The urn spun on its base so that Harkness could “always be dancing,” even beyond the grave. Uh, how sweet?
53. Her End Was Embarrassing
Money can’t buy sense, and apparently Harkness’s designer urn was far too small for her actual remains. As Rebekah’s friend said, “Just a leg is in there, or maybe half of her head, and an arm.'' So instead of giving her mother a dignified end, Rebekah’s daughter Terry had to carry the rest of her ashes home, bound up loosely in a humble supermarket bag.
54. Her Legacy Is Haunted
Harkness only left death in her wake wherever she went. Not only did her ballet collapse, her whole family did as well. Not long after Rebekah’s passing, her daughter Edith finally managed to succeed in her attempts. Perhaps most tragically, Rebekah’s little granddaughter Angel had passed just before Rebekah herself; she was just 10 years old. The last great American dynasty, indeed.
55. She Has a Connection to Taylor Swift
In recent years, Harkness has gained new fame—or infamy—because of her connection to Taylor Swift. Swift bought Harkness’s Rhode Island “Holiday House” in 2013 and used the near-palatial estate to throw her own lavish parties, notably her “Taymerica” July 4th bashes. In 2020, Swift then penned the song “the last great american dynasty,” which tells Harkness’s twisted story for the world.
