Grace Kelly The princess with the perfect name, Grace Kelly, was born on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born into one of Philadelphia’s most prestigious families, Kelly’s father was an Olympic sculler (rower), a self-made millionaire, and a politician, once running for mayor of Philadelphia. Kelly’s family was initially opposed to her aspirations of becoming an actress, which she pursued by studying at New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After a stint as a model, Kelly made her feature film debut at age twenty-two, in Fourteen Hours in 1951, followed by a supporting role in the western High Noon in 1952. Before long, Kelly was appearing alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Clark Gable and Ava Gardner in the film Mogambo in 1953. While filming Mogambo in the jungles of Kenya, Kelly had an affair with Gable. Kelly’s role in the film earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, which instead went to Donna Reed. Two years later, Kelly took home the Oscar for Best Actress for her work in The Country Girl, co-starring Bing Crosby.
Kelly’s regal beauty and captivating film presence eventually caught the attention of acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock, who then cast his muse in a series of films within a short period of time: Dial M for Murder in 1954), Rear Window in 1954), and To Catch a Thief in 1955. However, Kelly’s film career would soon come to a close after a chance encounter with royalty. In May of 1955, Kelly was introduced to Prince Rainier of Monaco while they were both attending the Cannes Film Festival. Less than one year later, the actress and the prince were married in a lavish ceremony, touted by the press as a fairytale come true. Kelly’s reign as Her Serene Highness, The Princess of Monaco, marked the end of her film career, reportedly at the insistence of Prince Rainier. Kelly and Prince Rainier went on to have three children: Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite, born on January 23, 1957; Prince Albert II, born on March 14, 1958; and Princess Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth, born on February 1, 1965. Unhappy in her marriage, Kelly was said to have stayed with her husband only because she would not receive custody of her children under Monaco law if they were to separate. Kelly did not seem to harbor warm feelings toward the bright lights of Hollywood that she had left behind. She once stated: "I hated Hollywood. It's a town without pity. I know of no other place in the world where so many people suffer from nervous breakdowns, where there are so many alcoholics, neurotics, and so much unhappiness."
In September of 1982, at age fifty-two, Kelly and her daughter, Princess Stephanie, took a fateful drive along a stretch of highway in Monaco. Kelly, who was at the wheel, suffered a stroke while driving, and died in hospital one day later. Princess Stephanie suffered only minor injuries. Prince Rainier, who passed away in 2005, was buried alongside Kelly at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Today, Kelly is remembered as one of the most dignified, revered, yet ultimately unhappy icons of the twentieth century. YUDDY |
