When Prince Rainier of Monaco first fell in love
with this lady, it made news headlines worldwide.
The couple were mobbed wherever they went, and every infinite
detail of their lives was scrutinised.
Usually, a Prince would marry a woman who had descended from a royal family.
Yet, on this occasion, it was a woman whose grandparents were poor
Irish immigrants, and she wasn't even a princess.
It was a brave decision and yet one that would end in heartache.
Join me now as we take a look at the lady
who left behind the Hollywood hills for those in Monaco.
the epitome of elegance and style that was Grace Kelly.
And please support the channel by liking the video
and subscribe for more historical stories.
In 1924 Margaret and Jack decided to marry,
and they would go on to have four children, with Grace being the third.
She was born on 12 November 1929,
luckily into a life of some comfort.
The great depression was rampant throughout the US at this time.
But her father, Jack, was in a relatively good place
and tried where he could to help others who were struggling.
Grace was a happy child with a strong imagination; it's said she was rarely bored
and would pretend her dolls were actresses.
Maybe some of the motivation came from her uncle,
George Kelly, an actor and award-winning writer.
This man certainly inspired Grace to become interested in the theatre.
At age 11, Grace saw the ballet Russe for the first time;
she loved it and began studying modern dance.
It was dance that would eventually lead her onto a stage.
At age 18, Grace was accepted at the American Academy
of dramatic arts in New York.
Where she would now begin
to hone her skills and develop her promising acting career.
She had come so far in such a short time,
but she loved every minute of this exciting new world.
By the time she had graduated in 1949, roles had begun to come her way.
The American dream was alive; and for Grace,
there was no turning back.
Grace took to the stage, but her first critique would arrive soon.
One of her directors once said, "she won't ever make it in the theatre,
she has great looks and certainly style but vocally no horsepower."
However, Grace was not to be downtrodden and would soon discover that
film was far more forgiving to her talent.
In the years after the war, both tv and film were starting
to come into their own, and Grace, swept up by this, moved to Hollywood.
A great move and one in which she would go on to star in 11 movies
and over 60 tv shows.
As Grace's career progressed, her acting improved,
and her reviews were now starting to turn heads.
She received a New York film critics award
and the Oscar for best actress in A Country Girl.
It was a resounding victory yet a moment in her life
that would catapult her into even greater riches.
Alfred Hitchcock had seen Grace, and to say he was impressed was an understatement.
His latest movie 'To Catch a Thief' was already in the planning stages,
and he wanted Grace as his leading lady alongside Cary Grant.
Grant compared her acting to the dancing of Fred Astaire;
he also made it seem easy and effortless.
'To Catch a Thief' was filmed along
the French Riviera, a beautiful spot along the Cote d'Azur.
Grace thoroughly enjoyed her time dining in fabulous restaurants
with stunning views.
Her first view of Monaco was while on location; she had heard about
its beautiful gardens, especially those of its ruler, Prince Rainer.
Prince Rainier's family the Grimaldi's, has reigned since 1927,
and part of the palace dates back to the 1200s.
After 1861 Monaco developed the town of Monte Carlo
into a popular gambling resort, it quickly became an excellent choice
for the super rich, and Monaco's once-tiny insignificant state
was quickly becoming one of the wealthiest places in the world.
She never met the prince on her visit, but after arriving back in the US,
she received an invitation from the French government
to represent the US at the upcoming Cannes film festival.
Prince Rainier was a big fan, and it wasn't long before they met.
Grace thought this man to be charming, and the couple became closer as time passed.
In the summer of 1955, Grace made another movie called
'The Swan', in this, she played the role of a princess.
So is fiction stranger than fact?
Maybe not, as she received many letters and phone calls
from an actual prince at the same time.
The relationship was developing
and love had blossomed.
Grace continued to work on her latest movie High Society
with Frank Sinatra, yet her mind was elsewhere.
Preparations for her marriage had begun,
a wedding that turned out to be the social event of the decade.
She studied French and educated herself on the history of Monaco.
Fans and the press flooded into town to see the famous movie star
now become a real-life princess.
The skipper of the USS Constitution joins
an illustrious passenger as she travels to a rendezvous with royalty.
Her destination, Monaco.
And marriage to Prince Rainier,
surrounded by her family and wedding party of 17, Grace Kelly.
America's gift to Monaco
is the focus of all eyes on the liner when she appears on deck.
A radiant perspective bride,
She graciously poses for a battery of shutterbugs who swarm around her.
Joking with her father, she passes the last hours before
one of the most heralded weddings of the century.
The next few days will be a hectic round of interviews and social functions.
Through it all, the Philadelphia film Beauty
keeps the poise and quiet dignity that has marked her career.
Monaco's gain is America's loss.
When Grace landed back in Monaco on 12 April 1956,
she and her family were greeted with a shower of red and white carnations
dropped onto their ship by plane.
These were the colours of Monaco's flag.
The weather was cloudy and grey, but nothing could dampen the spirits.
The prince romanced his new bride as only a prince can,
with fireworks, plus a 21-gun salute, the streets
decorated with flags and bunting with the letters R and G.
In true royal fashion, guests received a souvenir programme.
Within the publication could be found a love story written
for the couple by the famous french author Jean Cocteau.
The following evening a small dinner party was held for family and close friends.
It was quite the whirlwind for Grace, who got little sleep over these early days
attending luncheons, meetings and ceremonies.
On 18 April, Grace and Prince Rainier were married in a civil ceremony,
with the official state wedding to follow the next day,
it was the day Grace Kelly became a princess.
The wedding was a massive success; nine countries
televised the event, with more than 30 million viewers tuning in.
People from 31 nations attended, and MGM Grace's
film studio filmed the whole thing calling it the wedding of the century.
Queen Elizabeth of England sent a solid gold tray.
Cary Grant and his wife delivered an antique desk.
As for the prince, he gave Grace a diamond necklace and tiara.
The couple were radiant; Rainier dressed
in a French and Italian style military uniform.
Grace wore a silk wedding dress.
The Valenciennes lace on her ivory-coloured gown was 125 years old,
with genuine pearls decorating her cap and dress.
The wedding took place in Monaco's cathedral, as well as a maid of honour.
Grace had six bridesmaids, four flower girls and two pages
who carried the wedding rings on satin pillows.
The couple then drove through the streets of their tiny country
to greet the thousands of waiting people.
The reception was just as spectacular, with an unusual six-tiered wedding cake,
each tier representing a moment from Monaco's history.
To top that, two cherubs held a gold crown on top of the centrepiece.
The ceremonial event was now at an end; it was time to honeymoon,
and the couple left for Corsica to begin a new life together.
It indeed had been a momentous occasion and the start of a fairy tale romance.
As with all her movie roles, Grace wanted to show
that it wasn't just lines from a script but also that she could handle this
new fundamental life role with as much aplomb.
Her first primary task was to take over as leader of Monaco's red cross;
wherever a disaster struck around the world, the couple would help
with donations, including the profits from their recent wedding.
She helped establish daycare centres and became honorary
president of the world association of friends for children.
Although she couldn't reach out to everyone, she hoped to assist.
She instead started her own organisation for
aid called the Princess Grace Foundation.
The monies raised were to provide scholarships for young artists
and even included her pieces of handiwork to help promote the cause.
The prince and Grace would go on to have three children,
princess Caroline on 23 January
1957, Prince Albert on 14 March 1958 and princess
Stephanie on 1 February 1965.
One surprising fact from all her births
is that they were natural deliveries with no medication.
The children were all breastfed,
which in the 1950s was seen as an archaic form of feeding.
Most children of the day were bottle-fed, considered modern and more convenient.
However, Grace's most important role was that of the princess;
she aimed to make her people happy and give them the best.
Her charitable work continued, and she remained a loyal servant.
She represented the principality as an ambassador, in which she excelled
as much as in her acting career.
Back in the US, her stature continued to grow;
she was royalty, a princess and living proof of the American dream.
She eventually gave up her American citizenship
but was still called the American princess by many.
The Irish were also very proud of her;
Grace was always eager to learn about her childhood,
she bought the family home in County Mayo, Ireland.
Eventually, she gave up her career as an actress.
Her new role in life had become far more important than one of fantasy.
She, however, remained close to her acting roots.
She created the international tv festival in Monaco.
She also made documentaries about her new homeland.
It was a great way to promote the principality and gather outside influence.
In 1968 Grace started the garden club of Monaco;
she encouraged people from different backgrounds to join.
The aim, to produce plants for an annual flower show.
Even the prince entered and won!
Although he was under a pseudonym.
The show excelled, and Monaco became an international centre for flower arranging.
Grace would co-write a book about her passion called 'my book of flowers'
Never one to shirk responsibility, Grace led a hectic life;
she would rise at 7 am each morning, making breakfast for her family.
She'd continue her fundraising and held parties into the late
evening to raise more awareness for her charities.
But everything was about to change.
On the morning of 13 September 1982,
Grace was driving in her car alongside her daughter, Princess Stephanie.
Driving had always been a love of Grace, and this part of the world
was stunningly beautiful.
Her drives were something she would look forward to.
Yet the narrow roads and the single lanes at times could be treacherous.
The markings left a lot to be desired, a single line
giving the only proximity to other oncoming vehicles.
To walk along these high-sided cliffs offered fantastic views;
to travel at speed along the roads can seem quite scary,
especially to any motorist unsure of the boundaries.
While travelling
along one of these roads, Grace lost control of her car.
The vehicle plunged off the cliff road and down a 45-foot embankment.
Both mother and daughter were rushed to the hospital.
Princess Grace would spend the next 24 hours
in a coma before the life support machine was switched off.
She died tragically at the age of 52.
Princess Stephanie suffered a hairline fracture of the vertebrae and
was said to be very lucky to have survived the impact.
Grace, through her years, affected many people,
and now it's left to her children to continue that initial work.
Grace Kelly's life has been called a fairy tale.
Yet, she only managed her lifestyle through hard work
and a determination to succeed and achieve her goals.
She symbolised motherhood by her loving attention
to her family and children around the world.
This wasn't a lady who wanted to wrest on her laurels;
she had the wealth and riches to do that but, through choice,
continued trying to make things much better for everyone.
Monaco and the world will remember her with much love.
Princess Grace has spread happiness, hope and a willingness to succeed.
Although her death cemented her iconic status,
she will always be considered one of the most elegant ladies in terms of
cinematic and world history.