Anne Hathaway (wife of Shakespeare) fallen into financial ruin, while Hathaway, from a family in good standing both socially and financially, would have been considered a catch. Furthermore, a "handfast" or probationary marriage and pregnancy were frequent precursors to legal marriage at the time. Examining the surviving records of Stratford-upon-Avon and nearby villages in the 1580s, Greer argues that two facts stand out quite prominently: first, that a large number of brides went to the altar already pregnant; and second, that autumn, not spring, was the most common time to get married. Shakespeare was bound to marry Hathaway, who had become pregnant by him, but
Anne Hathaway in "Forbes" annual list of Celebrity 100 with earnings of $7 million, and was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Analyzing her earnings in 2010, the magazine included her in Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck, the highest return profit among actresses. By October 2017, her films had grossed $6.4 billion worldwide. Profiled as among the world's leading actresses by "Vanity Fair", Hathaway, according to Catherine Elsworth of "The Daily Telegraph", is pursued both by directors and cosmetics companies. In January 2008, she joined French luxury perfumes and cosmetics house Lancôme as the face of