Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929
- September 14, 1982) was an Oscar-winning American actress who became the wife of Prince
Rainier III of Monaco.
She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and died after an automobile accident in Monaco.
Her Irish Catholic family were new but prominent figures in Philadelphia society. Her father
John B. Kelly, Sr., was a self-made millionaire and a gold-medal-winning Olympic sculler, and
her brother "Jack" followed in that tradition, and Kelly Drive in Philadelphia is named for
John, Jr., who was a city councilman there.
Though her family had opposed her becoming an actress, Kelly became a fashion model and
appeared in her first film, Fourteen Hours (1951), when she was 22. The following year she
starred in High Noon (1952), a generally praised but somewhat controversial western starring
Gary Cooper.
The film Mogambo, a drama set in the Kenyan jungle (1953), centers on the love triangle
portrayed by Kelly, Clark Gable, and Ava Gardner and earned Kelly an Oscar nomination for Best
Actress in a Supporting Role. Kelly made three films with Alfred Hitchcock: Dial M for
Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.
In 1955 she was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Country
Girl (1954). While it was being filmed she had engaged in a brief affair with its star Bing
Crosby that was kept quiet to protect both their reputations.
The musical comedy High Society (1956) was her last film, as her marriage to Prince Rainier
III of Monaco marked her retirement from acting. Before her marriage, she was previously
involved with Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Ray Milland, William Holden, Oleg Cassini, and
Jean-Pierre Aumont. She reportedly was surprised to learn from Rainier that she was to give up
her film career entirely but followed his wishes.
Her being Catholic and able to bear children were key factors in her being chosen to marry
Prince Rainier, as dynasties always make great import of their survival. Tales were circulated
that because Monaco would revert to France because there was no heir, and though there is no
requirement for a Catholic marriage, it was thought unlikely that a Catholic prince would
divorce and remarry if his chosen wife was barren. In fact, there was really little actual
danger that Monaco would revert to France as, since 1882, a childless prince of Monaco has
been able to adopt an unrelated heir, thereby ensuring Monaco's survival as a principality.
Prince Rainier's paternal grandfather, Prince Louis II of Monaco had done just that in 1919,
when he adopted his bastard daughter, Charlotte Louvet, who would become Rainier's mother, and
made her his heir, Princess Charlotte of Monaco. Nonetheless, survival of the nation was a
different matter than the survival of the dynasty, and here there was a history of concern
about fertility. Before Grace Kelly came on the scene, French film star Gisèle Pascal was
Rainier's mistress for six years (she was born Gisèle Tallone in Cannes). Gisele and Rainier
supposedly parted when a physical examination reportedly found her to be infertile (she later
married and had children).
Prince Rainier and Princess Grace had three children:
Princess, Caroline Louise Marguerite, born January 23, 1957
Prince, Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre, heir to the throne, and Marquis des Baux, born March 14, 1958
Princess, Stephanie Marie Elisabeth, born February 1, 1965
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarifies that even if there are no heirs to
carry on the dynasty, the Principality will remain an independent nation rather than revert to
France. Presently, the line of succession is Prince Albert, Princess Caroline, then her
children by second husband Stefano Casiraghi and third husband Prince Ernst August of Hanover.
At the age of 52, Princess Grace suffered a stroke while driving on the same stretch of
highway in Monaco that had figured in To Catch a Thief. It resulted in an accident, and she
died the next day without regaining consciousness. Princess Stephanie, who was alleged in some
sources to have been the actual driver of the car, suffered only minor injuries.
Princess Grace is interred in the St. Nicholas Cathedral, (Monaco Cathedral) Monte Carlo,
Monaco.
Filmography:
High Society (1956)
The Swan (1956)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
The Country Girl (1954)
Rear Window (1954)
Green Fire (1954)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Mogambo (1953)
High Noon (1952)
Fourteen Hours (1951)
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wiki/Grace_Kelly
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