Princess Grace of Monaco

18.03.2022

There is a legend that Charles-de-Gaulle contemplated invading Monaco, but changed his mind because he knew he wouldn’t be more popular than Grace Kelly.

Kelly was born into a wealthy Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia; her father was John B. Kelly, a gold-medal winning oarsman, and her uncle was the playwright George Kelly. She was educated in convent and private schools before attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1947.

After graduating from the drama school, she embarked into a career in Broadway, and her first play there was ‘The Father’ in 1949. However, after failed attempts at the Broadway, she directed her career into Hollywood.

In 1952, she got her major breakthrough into Hollywood when she starred opposite actor Gary Cooper in the film ‘High Noon’. This film earned her huge acclamation as well as a seven-year contract with the media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Despite such notable works, Kelly’s most memorable roles were arguably those in a series of classic Alfred Hitchcock films. She first worked with the director in Dial M for Murder (1954), in which she played an adulterous wife whose husband (Ray Milland) plots to have her killed.

Grace Kelly’s movie career was pretty short — it only lasted for 4 years, from 1952 to 1956. Despite this, the American Film Institute included the actress in the 13th spot on their list of the greatest film stars of all time, which includes 50 legends of Hollywood.

In 1955, while attending the Cannes Film Festival, Grace met Prince Rainier of Monaco for a photo op. The couple corresponded and in December of that year, Rainier was due to visit America and asked to visit Grace and her family in Philadelphia.

Grace Patricia Kelly married Prince Rainier III on 19th April, 1956, and there after she became the Princess of Monaco. The couple was blessed with three children Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

On September 13, 1982, Princess Grace suffered a stroke while driving on a winding road at Cap-d’Ail in the Côte d’Azur region of France. She lost control of the car, which plunged down a 45-foot (14-metre) embankment. The following day Princess Grace died. Her daughter Stéphanie, who was also in the automobile, suffered only minor injuries.