American Grace Kelly was called the most beautiful actress of her time. Her talent was appreciated by audiences and critics, she was awarded an Oscar and was a favorite of Alfred Hitchcock. She was destined to become a real princess, the wife of the Prince of Monaco. Unfortunately, the legendary woman’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 52. Learn more about her story on philadelphia-trend.
Childhood and upbringing
Grace was born in Philadelphia on November 12, 1929. The family had Irish and German roots and was quite wealthy. Grace’s father owned his own business and made millions. In addition, Jack Kelly was an Olympic rowing champion. Her mother worked as a fashion model in her younger years. Her uncle was a famous playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner.
Grace grew up with her older sister Peggy, brother Jack and younger sister Lizanne. The family lived in a luxurious house. The children received a Catholic education. Grace studied at a religious college. It was there that she first appeared on stage. At the age of 6, the girl played the Virgin Mary.
The upbringing was strict, as the father saw his daughters as devout Catholics and faithful wives. As for her career, he believed that Grace could become an athlete but that she did not have to work. She was to marry a rich and titled man, whom her father planned to choose for her himself.
A career in cinema and a stormy personal life
But Grace had other plans. After graduating from college, she went to NYC, where she worked as a fashion model and began to study acting by joining the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She did not pay attention to her parents’ will.
At first, the young actress was only offered commercials. But in 1949, Grace finally played on Broadway. Strindberg’s play The Father was not successful, but the young actress was noticed. Over the next three years, she starred in TV series. In 1951, she made her first appearance in the feature film Fourteen Hours, where she played a cameo role.
The first success of the actress was the movie High Noon, which also starred Gary Cooper. The actors began a real romance. In 1953, Grace starred in the movie Mogambo alongside Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. For this work, the girl was nominated for an Oscar for the first time, and Gable also drew attention to her beauty. Grace didn’t win the coveted statuette that time, but she was waiting for it soon, for her leading role in the movie the Country Girl.
At this time, G. Kelly’s name was becoming increasingly prominent in Hollywood. In addition, her gorgeous appearance and acting talent attracted the attention of A. Hitchcock. She became his favorite actress, whom he affectionately called “a snow-covered volcano” and starred in such films:
- Dial M for Murder (1954)
- Rear Window (1954)
- To Catch a Thief (1955).
Grace’s personal life was no less tumultuous than her artistic work. Despite all her father’s prohibitions and instructions, she was looking for true love. She was credited with romances with Jean-Pierre Aumont, William Golden, Bing Crosby, the Shah of Iran and Oleg Cassini. Grace introduced several men to her family, but her father refused to agree to her marriage to any of them.
O. Cassini advised Grace to wear both restrained and sexy dresses with an emphasized waist and puffy skirts. Gloves, dark glasses and small bags became part of her look. The designer also proposed to the actress but was turned down by her father.
Perhaps he was right because fate really did prepare a real prince for Grace. While filming To Catch a Thief, she met Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
Become a princess
After meeting, Grace and the prince began to correspond. Six months later, the man in love traveled to the United States, where he proposed to the actress. For the engagement, he presented Grace with a 10.47-carat diamond engagement ring. Jack Kelly agreed to this marriage with a dowry for his daughter of 2 million dollars.
The wedding took place on April 18 and 19, 1956. First, a civil ceremony took place, and then a religious one in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Monaco. According to the protocol, the future princess was checked for virginity and the ability to give birth to a child because the prince desperately needed an heir. Grace had every chance of having children, so they turned a blind eye to her lack of virginity.
Thousands of people came to see the luxurious wedding with their own eyes. Interestingly, the costs were covered by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studio. Grace terminated her contract with them because she could not continue her career in film after becoming a princess. However, the company received exclusive rights to the television broadcast. Thanks to this, Grace’s wedding ceremony was watched by 30 million viewers around the world.
Thus, Grace became a wife and princess and ended her acting career. It is worth noting that in Monaco, films with her were not allowed to be shown in order not to spoil the image of the princess. Her last work in Hollywood was the musical High Society with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong. Hollywood, and especially A. Hitchcock, mourned the loss of the star.
Grace has since played the role of an exemplary wife and ideal mother. She gave birth to three children (Caroline, Albert and Stephanie) and devoted herself to their upbringing, as well as to caring for her subjects. The princess was involved in charity work and managed the relevant funds, organized New Year’s parties for children and tea parties in hospitals, founded the Garden Club, became the head of the local Red Cross and helped local museums. The principality, which had previously experienced difficult times, began to develop rapidly and turned into a prestigious center of cultural life.
In fact, this was also what the prince was counting on when he married Grace. However, during the marriage, he demonstrated a short-tempered and irritable character, jealous of his wife’s popularity among his subjects. Against this background, Grace became depressed. In addition, she had two miscarriages, and in 1960, she experienced the death of her father. In addition, Grace gained weight during menopause, and her children added to her worries. Despite all this, there was no talk of divorce because Kelly valued her reputation and honor.
The citizens of Monaco sincerely loved their princess. If she went out, she was always followed by a crowd of admirers. She was constantly interviewed, her photographs were sold out and she was sincerely admired for her beauty and ease of communication. Grace played the role of the princess to perfection. Her sudden death was all the more shocking.
A tragic death
The princess and her daughter Stephanie were in a car accident on September 13, 1982. According to the official version, they let the driver go because there was not enough room in the car. Grace got behind the wheel, but lost control, causing the car to plunge into a chasm.
Stephanie received minor injuries and managed to get out of the car, but the princess’s condition was hopeless. Doctors diagnosed her with a stroke, which could have occurred just before the accident and caused it. The day after the accident, the family gave permission for Grace to be removed from life support.
She was buried on September 18, 1982, in Monaco. Princess Diana, Nancy Reagan and Cary Grant came to the funeral. More than 100 million viewers watched the broadcast of the funeral.
As for Rainier, he never married again. The prince passed away in 2005 and was buried next to his wife. Their son took over the government of the country.
