Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 - September
14, 1982) was an Oscar-winning American film actress
who, as a result of marriage to Prince Rainier III of
Monaco on April 19, 1956, became Her Serene Highness
Princess Grace of Monaco. She was the mother of the
principality's current reigning Sovereign Prince, Albert
II of Monaco. Princess Grace was required to renounce
her American citizenship upon her marriage.
Early life
Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John
Brendan Kelly, Sr., also known as Jack Kelly, and Margaret
Katherine Majer, a Catholic convert from Lutheranism.
Kelly's father's Irish American Catholic family (originally
from Kidney Lake, Newport, Co. Mayo, Ireland) were new
but prominent figures in Philadelphia society. Her father
was a self-made millionaire and a gold-medal-winning
Olympic sculler, and her brother John B. Kelly, Jr.,
sometimes known as "Jack, Jr." followed in
that tradition. John, Jr., purportedly gave his sister
as a wedding present the bronze medal he won at the
1956 Summer Olympics. Kelly Drive in Philadelphia is
named for John, Jr., who was a city councilman there.
Her father's family was large and she had two prominent
uncles in the arts: one, Walter Kelly, was a vaudevillian,
and the other was the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright,
George Kelly. Kelly's maternal grandparents, Carl Majer
and Margaretha Berg, were of German descent.
Career
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" (with a supporting
role) in High Noon (1952), a generally praised but
somewhat controversial western starring Gary Cooper.
Her next film, Mogambo (1953), was
a drama set in the Kenyan jungle which centers on
the love triangle portrayed by Kelly, Clark Gable,
and Ava Gardner. Whilst filming this movie she had
an affair with Gable later memorably commenting "What
else is there to do if you're alone in a tent in Africa
with Clark Gable?" The movie earned Kelly an
Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but
the award went to Donna Reed for her role in From
Here to Eternity. 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 for The Country Girl. While
it was being filmed, she was romanced by co-star Bing
Crosby, a fellow Irish Catholic, (who had recently
lost his wife) but Kelly always denied that they had
an affair.
Life as Princess
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 allegedly 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 expected to give
up her film career entirely, but followed his wishes
grudgingly.
Her Catholicism and ability to bear
children were key factors in her being chosen to marry
Prince Rainier. Tales were circulated that Monaco
would revert to France in the absence of an 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
were barren. In fact, there was really little actual
danger that Monaco would revert to France since, in
1882, a childless prince of Monaco adopted an unrelated
heir, thereby ensuring Monaco's survival as a principality.
Prince Rainier's maternal grandfather, Prince Louis
II of Monaco also legitimized his illegitimate daughter
Charlotte Louvet, who would become Rainier's mother
and made her his heir Princess Charlotte of Monaco.
Before Grace Kelly drew Rainier's
attention, French film star Gisèle Pascal (neé
Giselle Marie Madeleine Tallone) had been his love
interest for six years. Gisèle and Rainier
supposedly parted when a physical examination reportedly
found her to be infertile, but Giséle later
married Raymond Pellegrin on October 8, 1955, and
bore at least one child.
Prince Rainier and Princess Grace
had three children:
Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite,
born January 23, 1957, and now heiress presumptive
to the throne of Monaco
Albert II of Monaco, born March 14, 1958
Princess Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth, born February
1, 1965
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarified
that even if there are no direct heirs of the reigning
prince, the principality will remain an independent
nation, rather than reverting to France. Due to Prince
Albert's enduring bachelorhood, Monegasque law now
states that in the event of a reigning prince's lack
of descendants, his siblings and their children will
inherit the throne. The line of succession is now
Princess Caroline, then her children by her late second
husband Stefano Casiraghi, who died in 1990, and her
daughter by her third husband, HRH Prince Ernst August
of Hanover.
At the age of 52, in September 1982,
Princess Grace suffered a stroke while driving. It
had been rumored that she was driving on the same
stretch of highway in Monaco that had been featured
in To Catch a Thief, although her son claims that
it was not. It resulted in an accident, and she died
the next day without regaining consciousness. Princess
Stéphanie, who was alleged by some sources
to have been the actual driver of the car, suffered
only minor injuries.
Princess Grace is interred in St.
Nicholas Cathedral, Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Filmography
Fourteen Hours (1951)
High Noon (1952)
Mogambo (1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Green Fire (1954)
Rear Window (1954)
The Country Girl (1954)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)
To Catch a Thief (1955)
The Swan (1956)
High Society (1956)
Trivia
She was the first ever actress to appear on a postage
stamp. (Source: The Book of Useless Information, published
2002.)
The French haute couture fashion house
Hermès named one of its most famous, and now
sought-after, products for Grace Kelly - the "Kelly
Bag." Waiting lists of up to two years are not
unusual for this handbag, and prices start at $5000
for the small bag in plain leather, rising past $50,000
for crocodile skin or other unusual materials.
The classic head-wrap using a silk
scarf which is crossed under the chin and knotted
at the side or nape of the neck is universally known
as the "Grace Kelly." This chic look is
still copied by many female Hollywood stars when they
wish to retain a degree of anonymity in the public
eye. Famous users include: Sharon Stone, Madonna,
Annette Bening, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.
source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
More Articles..
