31 Grace Kelly Facts —Everything You Need To Know About Monaco's 'People's Princess"By Sheila Ross |
Before there was Diana Spencer there was Grace Kelly. There are a number of parallels that can be drawn between the two—both were beautiful young women who married a royal, both were committed to making the world a better place, both suffered from bouts of depression, and both died at a tragically young age following a car crash. However, unlike the nursery school assistant, the actress lived a grand and glamorous life before marrying her prince—and she kissed one heck of a lot of frogs, too, along the way.
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Here are 31 Grace Kelly facts that will teach you everything you need to know about Monaco’s "People’s Princess”.
Destined For Greatness
Given her parentage, it was pretty much a given that Grace Kelly would end up making a mark on the world.
Her mother and father were classic over-achievers and they demanded their children be every bit as successful as they were.
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Grace’s dad, Jack, was an accomplished rower who won t
hree Olympic gold medals, in addition to being a self-made millionaire. Her mom, Margaret, was also an athlete and coached the women’s sports teams at the University of Pennsylvania.
A Family Affair
Grace Kelly’s parents weren’t the only sports stars in the family though.
Grace’s older and younger sisters, Margaret and Elizabeth, and her brother John Jr. were also gifted athletes. John Jr. ended up following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a star rower in his own right. Although he didn’t win gold as his dad did, John Jr. did compete in four different Olympic Games, winning the bronze in single sculls in Melbourne in 1956. The loving brother gifted his medal to Grace when she married Prince Rainier years later.
The Yearbook Prophecy
It was written in the stars (well in a yearbook actually) that Grace Kelly would go on to achieve fame and fortune one day.
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Although nobody foresaw the young girl marrying a real-life prince, they did predict she would become a household name. “Miss Grace P. Kelly—a famous star of stage and screen,” reads an entry in the “Stevens’ Prophecy” section of the 1947 yearbook published by the private and socially prominent private school Kelly attended in Germantown, Philadephia.
Career Choice Controversy
It’s safe to say that Grace Kelly’s parents were less than thrilled over their daughter’s choice of career.
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In fact, Grace’s mom and dad were furious when she told them that she was going to enroll in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then go on to become an actress. John Sr., was especially opposed to her Hollywood dreams, telling his daughter that he believed actresses were “a slim cut above streetwalkers."
Ouch!
Double Standards
It’s unclear if John Sr. viewed men in the entertainment industry in the same light as he did their female counterparts. It’s unlikely though, given the fact both of his brothers worked in the business.
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Walter Kelly was a successful Vaudeville star who starred in a slew of movies for MGM and Paramount Pictures. Meanwhile, George Kelly was a Pulitzer prize-winning director, dramatist, and screenwriter. It seems like a classic case of one rule for men and another for women. Girls! Know your place!
The Not So Model Daughter
Grace Kelly’s father must have been even more horrified when he discovered that his daughter was working as a model to help fund her acting dreams.
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While studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhatten, New York, the beautiful blonde landed a number of highly paid and lucrative modeling gigs. Among Grace’s many assignments were front covers for the magazines “Cosmopolitan” and "Redbook” and a cigarette advertising campaign. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, dad!
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When she was younger Grace did everything in her power to blend in with the masses and went to great lengths to play down her cover girl's good looks. “We had no idea she was as beautiful as she was,” one of Kelly’s old school friends admitted. “Grace always a bandana on, and had the glasses, and the sweater, nothing glamorous.”
Uncle George To The Rescue!
It definitely pays to have friends in high places—and it pays even more when you’re related to them!
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Grace Kelly’s acting dreams came close to never being realized after she almost didn’t make it into the Academy of Dramatic Arts. By the time Grace got around to sending off her application to study at the prestigious college, they had already filled all of the available openings.
Enter Uncle George, who came to his niece’s rescue, pulling a few strings to help secure a placement. Despite her Pulitzer-prize-winning relative’s influence though, Grace still had to go through the same application process that other prospective students were subjected to. Drawing on her uncle’s reputation yet again, Grace used a scene from his critically acclaimed play “The Torch-Bearers” as part of her admission audition.
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Questionable Choice In Men
Grace Kelly’s choice of career wasn’t the only thing her parents were concerned about. They also worried about her choice of men, and with good reason sometimes.
Grace once dated one of her instructors while she was a student at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, and even made the monumental mistake of taking him home to meet the folks! Let’s just say it didn’t go down too well and the couple went their separate ways a short time after.
Man-Free Zone
Given her questionable taste in men, it must have come as a huge relief to Grace Kelly’s parents that while she was studying in New York she lived somewhere that enforced a strict women-only policy.
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During her time in Manhatten, Grace stayed at the Barbizon Hotel for Women, which banned men from going above the ground floor. A number of other famous women also lived at the residence back when they were aspiring actresses, including Liza Minnelli and Ali MacGraw.
Double Oscar Fail
One of the highlights of Grace Kelly’s acting career was her 1955 “Best Actress” Oscar win for her role in “The Country Girl”.
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However, the victory could have been twice as sweet, and she could have pulled off an “Oscars Double” if it wasn’t for Alfred Hitchcock! Grace was set to star in “On the Waterfront” alongside Marlon Brando until the British director persuaded her to ditch the part for a role in his movie, “Rear Window”. Eva Marie Saint was subsequently cast in Kelly's place and she went on to win a “Best Supporting Actress” Oscar for the role.
Hollywood Hater
Despite the success it afforded her, Grace Kelly confessed to “hating” life in Hollywood.
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The actress claimed Los Angeles was packed full of alcoholics and neurotics and that the City of Angels caused “so much unhappiness”. “I hated Hollywood,” Grace shared in an interview. “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. “I came to success very quickly. Perhaps too quickly to value its importance.”
Bad Reputation
Before reinventing herself as an upstanding member of European royalty, Grace Kelly suffered somewhat of an image problem.
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The actress gained a bad reputation for dating her often-times much older costars, including “Mogambo” actor Clark Gable, and Ray Miller from “Dial M for Murder”. Kelly was also slammed for hooking up with her “High Noon” co-star, Gary Cooper, while he was still married. The scandalous affair prompted one sharp-tongued gossip columnist to label Grace a “homewrecker”.
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The actress was in France to lead the American delegation to the Cannes Film Festival and the meeting sparked a whole new chapter in her life. It was love at first sight for Kelly and Rainier and the passion didn’t end after she returned stateside. The couple constantly wrote letters to each other describing their feelings in great detail, and when a diplomatic tour brought the prince to the U.S. Rainier seized the chance to meet Grace’s parents. Just three days later he put a ring on it. And, oh boy, what a ring!
The Royal Rock
Rainier went all out when it came to buying an engagement ring for his “showgirl” wife-to-be.
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The prince spent an astronomical $4.06 million on the royal rock, a 10.47-carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two baguettes, set on a platinum band. The exquisite Cartier ring even made an appearance in the last feature film of Grace’s acting career. Bing Crosby’s character jokes about the ludicrously sized diamond during one of the scenes in "High Society". “Some stone, did you mine it yourself?” he quips.
The Controversial Ex
This wasn’t Grace Kelly’s first high-profile engagement rodeo. The actress had previously agreed to marry another man, years before she ended up walking down the aisle with Rainier.
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Grace was engaged to fashion designer, Oleg Cassini, who was responsible for former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic style. The reason behind the couple’s split remains unknown and it’s likely to stay that way with both of them taking the secret to their grave. Rumors have swirled though that Cassini broke off the engagement when Kelly had an abortion after accidentally becoming pregnant.
Be Careful What You Wish For
Grace Kelly was only 26-years old when she was forced to give up her successful movie career to marry the man she loved.
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Living a life of privilege and luxury, with millions of dollars at her disposal and a husband who worshipped her, you'd think that Grace Kelly would be the happiest woman in the world. However, despite her previous claim of “hating” Hollywood, after moving to Monaco the now-retired actress found herself missing Los Angeles. Grace suffered from terrible bouts of deep dark depression and yearned for her old movie career days.
The Cost Of Marriage
In what seems like a totally outrageous event in this day and age, Prince Rainier demanded Grace’s parents pay a $2 million dowry before he married their daughter.
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Despite his title, by royal standards, the prince was relatively broke, as Monaco was suffering a financial crisis at the time of his engagement. Perhaps he should have bought a cheaper ring? Rainier didn’t just cash in from the dowry though, his marriage to the Hollywood star helped put his kingdom on the world map, and the tourists started arriving in droves.
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The royal insisted his fiancee renounce her U.S. citizenship and become a Monaco national instead. But most outrageously of all, Rainier demanded Kelly undergo an intrusive gynecological exam to ensure she was fertile and capable of giving him an “heir and a spare”.
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The actress looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day, but it was her gorgeous gown that really stole the show. Grace’s dress was created by MGM designer Helen Rose and included 25 yards of taffeta and 100 yards of silk netting. Adding further to the style spectacle, Kelly wore a jaw-dropping veil that had over a thousand tiny pearls hand-sewn on to it.
The Mother Of All Weddings
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier’s1956 wedding couldn’t have been any more spectacular and grand, leaving even the most lavish Hollywood romantic blockbuster firmly in the shade.
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Thousands of Rainier’s “subjects” lined the streets of Monaco, hoping to catch a glance of their glamorous new princess, and ensure she received a suitably royal welcome. The over-the-top spectacle prompted Alfred Hitchcock to joke about how “very happy” he was that his former leading lady had “found herself such a good part”.
The Re-Invention Of Grace Kelly
Despite having fallen in love with Grace Kelly when she was a Hollywood star after their wedding Prince Rainier went to great lengths to erase all traces of her acting past.
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The royal issued a decree banning screenings of his wife’s movies throughout all of Monaco and demanded that Kelly never act in a feature film again. Eager to please her new husband, Kelly caved to Rainier's demands, even turning down Alfred Hitchcock when he offered to help restart her career with a role in his new movie, "Marnie".
Keeping It Real
When Grace Kelly agreed to marry Prince Rainier she made a vow not to allow her new life as a royal change who she was as a person.
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And she managed to keep it real right up until her untimely death in 1982. Following her demise, Kelly’s longtime personal assistant praised her former employer’s down-to-earth attitude and outlook on life.
“[Grace] wasn’t stuffy,” the assistant shared. “She had a mischievous sense of humor, a glint of naughtiness in her eye, and a great passion for limericks – even saucy ones.”
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After floundering in depression Kelly finally managed to find a new purpose in life—using her fame and privilege as a princess to help children in need. Grace founded the non-profit organization, AMADE Mondiale, with the aim of “protecting the moral, physical and spiritual well-being of children the world over without the influence of things like race, religion or nationality.” The organization is still going strong to this day, with Grace’s daughter Caroline at the head as president.
International Trend Setter
Just like Princess Diana would later become, Grace Kelly was a style icon, with every outfit she wore being photographed and discussed by the fashion world’s elite. Grace’s style influence was so immense that she even had a purse named after her.
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When the princess was pregnant with her daughter Caroline, she would cover up her midsection with her favorite Hermes purse to foil paparazzi attempts to snap a photo of her growing stomach. The legendary French fashion house was so grateful for all the free publicity that they ended up renaming Grace’s favorite purse “the Kelly bag” in her honor.
Stamp Of Approval
Having a Hermes purse named after her, and winning an Academy Award were just two of the many honors that were bestowed on Grace Kelly.
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The beautiful blonde was also the first actress to appear on a stamp—in two countries no less—her birth land of the USA and her newly adopted home, Monaco. The stamps feature the exact same image, but each country used a different name for Kelly. Monaco called her “Princess Grace” but the U.S. referred to the former citizen as “Grace Kelly” due to a strict law forbidding foreign heads of state from being depicted on stamps.
Tragic Ending
Grace Kelly was just 52-years old when she died from a brain hemorrhage in 1982. The actress had sustained horrific injuries after suffering a stroke while driving, resulting in a terrifying car crash.
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Grace’s daughter, Stephanie, was a passenger in the vehicle, which ended up careening down the side of a mountain after Kelly lost control of it. The young girl suffered a hairline fracture and a concussion from the wreck, and Stephanie’s injuries prevented her from attending her mother’s funeral. Adding further to the already immense tragedy, Prince Rainier was forced to make the agonizing decision to take his wife off of life support after doctors determined Grace’s injuries were too severe for her to survive.
Doubly Fatal
Prince Rainier's painful decision to remove Grace Kelly from life support was made when a CAT scan showed that his wife stood no chance of recovery after having actually suffered a total of two separate brain hemorrhages.
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The first hemorrhage was determined to have occurred just prior to the crash and was likely the reason why Grace lost control of the car. The second hemorrhage occurred after the crash though, when Kelly was in the hospital. It’s believed the second hemorrhage was probably triggered by the massive trauma Grace’s body had endured during the accident.
Floral Tribute Fit For A Princess
Grace Kelly’s love of flowers was the inspiration behind Prince Rainier’s beautiful tribute to his late wife.
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Following her tragic death, the grieving widower designed and planted a rose garden in Grace’s honor, which he opened up to the public so they could pay their respects. Monaco-based artist, Kees Verkade, was commissioned to sculpt a statue of the princess which stands in the middle of the 4,000 plus roses. “My love of flowers opened a lot of doors for me,” Kelly once said. “I’ve made many friends because of their passion for flowers and their vast knowledge in this field.”
Gone But Not Forgotten
Grace Kelly’s tragic death sent shockwaves around the world as fans grieved her passing and friends mourned their loss.
