The Story of Grace Kelly — One of History’s Most Popular and Beloved Princesses

Rumor has it that former French President Charles de Gaulle was supposedly planning to invade Monaco, but he ended up abandoning that idea simply because he didn’t want to compete with Grace Kelly’s popularity. The incredible fate of this successful actress, who later became a princess, seemed like a true fairy tale and still touches the hearts of people around the world.

O awesome.club decided to remember the story of this woman who was a reference of beauty and humanity. Check out!

Grace Kelly grew up in a very strict family. In her youth, her mother was a successful model and later became a famous athlete. Her father had a company in the construction industry and was also an athlete — he was even an Olympic rowing champion. Young Grace didn’t fit her family’s standards from birth. Unlike her two sisters and her brother, she was shy, a little awkward, and a little overweight. The actress’s parents, being athletes in good shape, they considered her ugly and believed that the young woman would never be able to marry. They pinned all their hopes on their other children. A family friend commented on Grace’s appearance as a child: “We had no idea she would look so beautiful. She always wore a bandana, glasses and a sweater, nothing too special.”

When the future star did not pass the entrance exams to enter the university, her parents only confirmed their expectations of not expecting great things from her. However, the girl decided that she wanted to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and although her parents were initially against this idea, they later changed their minds. At the time, the Academy entrance exams had already been finalized, but Grace managed to enter the institution with the help of her uncle, a famous and influential playwright.

From a clumsy teenager, Grace, at the age of 18, became a real beauty. So, living in New York, the young woman decided to look for a modeling agency for start a career in the business🇧🇷 A tall, slender blonde was soon a hit, and magazine agents began seeking her out for photo shoots.

Alongside her modeling career, Grace auditioned for roles several times, and finally managed to make her Broadway debut in the play Dad, a drama by Swedish writer August Strindberg. Two years later, at the age of 20, she was asked to make a cameo in a movie. Soon, several famous directors recognized that Grace was a spectacular actress and began to invite her to their productions.

For your role in Mogambo🇧🇷 Grace was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.🇧🇷 And already the following year, she won this prestigious award in the category of Best Actress for her work in the film To love is to suffer🇧🇷

Grace Kelly was noticed by the legendary director Alfred Hitchcock, with whom she worked on three projects, two of which are considered the best works of this great master of cinema: Dial M to Kill and Indiscreet Window.

Grace Kelly’s film career didn’t last long, just four years, from 1952 to 1956. However, the American Film Institute placed the actress 13th on the list of the greatest movie stars. The list includes 50 Hollywood legends — 25 men and 25 women.

Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly met at the Cannes Film Festival. According to the protocol of the event, a photo shoot between the two was planned for a magazine. By the way, according to acquaintances of the actress, she wanted to cancel this appointment due to her busy schedule.

Generally, it seemed like everything was stacked against this encounter🇧🇷 Grace and the Prince were stuck in a traffic jam due to a workers’ protest. As a result, she was less than happy with the way she looked, and he arrived at the meeting in no mood at all. However, when Rainier III saw the actress rehearsing a curtsy in front of the mirror, it was love at first sight.

There was an immediate connection between the two, and six months later the lovestruck prince flew to the United States and asked for the actress’ parents’ blessing for the marriage. He proposed to Grace on Christmas Eve and gave her a modest engagement ring, which was soon replaced by the famous ring with a ten carat diamond.

The matrimonial union of the two became the subject of general discussion in society, and many members of the prince’s political entourage tried to get the most out of the event. The fact is that in the middle of the 20th century, the principality of Monaco was not the prestigious place for millionaires as it is today. It was a tiny state, not very rich and not a very popular destination with tourists. All hopes were pinned on the new ruler. One of Rainier III’s best friends, the tycoon Aristotle Onassis, advised the prince saying the best way to attract attention would be to marry someone like Marilyn Monroe or Grace Kelly. Well, Onassis was right: the wedding did make a big splash for Monaco for decades to come. Tourists began to visit the principality and billionaires began to buy real estate there.

Unsurprisingly, there have been some rumors that the prince married out of interest, as part of a public relations ploy to attract investment to the impoverished state of Monaco.

The marriage was also very beneficial for Grace’s parents, as it paved the way for them to enter New York’s high society. By the way, when they first met Rainier III, they thought that the prince was the ruler of Morocco, and not Monaco. As a dowry, the bride’s parents paid about 2 million dollars, and at the same time, the future princess still had to go through the royal marriage protocol, being subjected to a fertility test and an informal virginity test. The actress had no problems with the first, with the second… Well, they decided to close their eyes to the result.

The marriage of Grace Kelly and Rainier III has been called the wedding of the century🇧🇷 By some estimates, the week-long celebration surpassed even Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding to Duke Philip in terms of expense and structure.

On her wedding day, the bride arrived ashore on a luxury cruise liner. When going down to the pier and meeting her fiancé, a shower of red and white carnations fell from the sky. The celebration cost, according to various sources, between 45 and 55 million dollars, most of the costs being sponsored by the MGM film studio, in which the actress worked. And it was this same studio that broadcast the wedding on television.

The legendary wedding dress worn at the ceremony was embroidered with pearls and Brussels lace. vintage, having cost about 300 thousand dollars. However, Grace was not happy with all the media attention she received: “It was the worst day of my life🇧🇷 Of course, there were emotional moments. But in general, she was so tired of the attention of journalists that for more than a year I did not read any articles about me and my husband ”— this is how Grace later recalled her wedding day.

For the life of royalty, Grace had to make a heavy sacrifice, give up her career as an actress forever🇧🇷 From that moment on, she had to convey a single image – that of the wife of the ruler of Monaco. Her longtime friend Alfred Hitchcock said that he “was very happy that Grace had found such a good role for herself”.

A few years later, the princess tried to break this tradition — Alfred Hitchcock offered her a role in his new film. Moreover, her husband almost agreed to let her take part in the filming, but the residents of the principality were categorically against her, saying that “our princess cannot and must not act in films as an actress!” In the end, Grace ended up obeying the will of the people. According to relatives, after this event, she fell into depression and practically did not leave her room for a week. The inability to return to her beloved art world turned out to be a real tragedy for Grace Kelly’s life.

Despite this, the princess pulled herself together and won the love of the people of Monaco. Including, it was she who introduced the Christmas tradition of receiving children in the royal palace in exchange for gifts, and, in general, breathed new life into the principality.

For the public, everything was perfect at the star’s wedding. Rainier III was heir to the throne and an honorable man. She, a former Hollywood star with an Oscar and one of the most beautiful women of her time. However, as time passed, it became clear that the image of the united and strong couple was just that – an image. Grace felt especially burdened as her new home, which was supposed to be a paradise, turned out to be a golden cage. In addition to the fact that she was banned from continuing her career as an actress, films with her participation had their screening prohibited in Monaco. The princess then decided to seek happiness in motherhood and gave birth to three heirs: Caroline Luísa Margarida Grimaldi, Alberto II (current Sovereign Prince of Monaco) and Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi.

By the way, to hide the beginning of her first pregnancy from unwanted photographers, the princess started to keep your Hermès bag, which she wore constantly, close to her belly. Later, this bag model became a permanent accessory in the brand’s catalog, and they named it “Kelly”.

The princess is said to have idolized her children and apparently spoiled them quite a bit. They grew up rebellious and often acted inappropriately. Her daughters, in their youth, resembled Grace’s own behavior: they did not obey their parents and hung out with dubious people.

Grace Kelly’s life with her husband wasn’t all flowers. Over time, it became clear that they were completely different individuals. Many people considered the princess a woman with a calm and even cold disposition, but this impression was created much later, after Grace became a member of the royal family. Before that, she used to be quite moody. Hitchcock called it “a volcano covered with snow that could explode at any moment🇧🇷 And Rainier III was a homely and calm man. As a result, he was often bored by her receptions and laughed at her hobbies. In addition, the image of the perfect wife began to weigh on the prince. Perhaps he was jealous of Grace’s popularity, and the princess felt more and more that no one needed her and was afraid of old age.

Rumor has it that it was during this period that Austrian director Robert Dornhelm, who was 18 years Grace’s junior, became a close friend…