Grace Kelly was born into wealth and married royalty. Her wealthy parents gave her everything but her biggest aspiration was to become a movie star. Kelly lived up to this dream for many years before her marriage and eventual death. She began her journey to Hollywood in high school where she danced and performed in school productions. As a professional actress, she is remembered for her performances in such projects as Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, To Catch a Thief, and The Country Girl.
In addition to her wealth and fame, Grace Kelly also garnered prominence when she became the Princess of Monaco following her marriage to Prince Rainer III of Monaco. Several decades after her death, Kelly’s legacy still rings true in different places where she lived and worked. She became the first actress to appear on a postage stamp when in 1993, Monaco and the United States of America simultaneously released different postage stamps in her honor.
Grace Kelly’s Biography and Early Life
The late Princess of Monaco was born into a prominent Catholic family on November 12, 1929. Kelly was born at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Her father, John B. Kelly Sr., was of Irish ancestry but his parents were immigrants to the United States. Kelly Sr. was a successful businessman on the East Coast and was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1935 but lost by a close margin. He later served on the Fairmount Park Commission and was appointed by President Roosevelt to serve as National Director of Physical Fitness during World War II.
Grace Kelly’s mother was Margaret Majer who hailed from a noble German background. She was the daughter of Prof. Johann Christian von Majer and a descendant of the prestigious Stauffenberg family. Majer was a model in her heydays and later became an educator. Teaching physical education at the University of Pennsylvania set her aside as the first woman to coach women’s athletics at Penn. She suspended her career to focus on raising her children, after which she began working with civic organizations. Kelly grew up with three siblings – her older sister and brother, Margaret and John Jr., and a younger sister, Elizabeth.
Educational Background
Grace Kelly got her elementary education in Saint Bridget’s parish in East Falls and graduated from Stevens School in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 5, 1947, where she participated in school dance and drama productions. According to her senior yearbook, Kelly’s classmates predicted she would become a stage and screen star. Kelly also attended Ravenhill Academy and during this time, she became a fashion model at local charity events alongside her mother and sisters.
Bennington College rejected Grace Kelly’s application in 1947 due to her low score in mathematics. She subsequently focused on her acting career despite her parents’ disapproval. After launching her professional acting career, Kelly took speech courses to improve her accent. As a result, she acquired a notable British accent which contributed to her fame. Kelly honed her acting skills at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Tracing Grace Kelly’s Illustrious Acting Career
Grace Kelly made her acting debut in 1949, playing various characters on Kraft Television Theatre. Her television career saw her appear in minor roles on TV shows such as The Philco Television Playhouse, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Studio One, Lights Out, Armstrong Circle Theatre, and Lux Video Theatre. Her big screen debut came in 1951 when she was seen as Louise Anne Fuller in Fourteen Hours. This was followed by High Noon (1952) which won four Academy Awards and remains one of the best films ever made.
After getting critically panned for her performance in High Noon, Grace Kelly took acting classes to further sharpen her skills. Her early film projects include Mogambo (1953), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), Country Girl (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), and High Society (1956). Kelly appeared in various theatre productions at Cort Theatre and Booth Theatre. At the age of 26, Kelly had an early retirement from acting to assume her duties as Princess of Monaco.
Grace Kelly Married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956
Grace Kelly met Prince Rainier III on May 6, 1955,, while she headed the U.S. delegation at the Cannes Film Festival in April 1955. They dated for a year and exchanged vows on April 19, 1956. The couple had both civil and religious ceremonies to solemnize their union according to the Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the rules guiding the Catholic Church. The civil ceremony lasted 16 minutes and took place at the Palace Throne Room of Monaco on April 18, 1956, while the church ceremony was done the next day at Monaco’s Saint Nicholas Cathedral. The latter was presided over by Bishop Gilles Barth. Kelly and Prince Rainier III had three children – Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stéphanie.
Grace Kelly’s Death and Legacy
While injuries from a road accident contributed to her death, the accident was caused by a mild cerebral hemorrhage she suffered while driving. The late princess was behind the wheel with her daughter Stéphanie in the passenger seat when she lost control of the car after suffering a stroke and drove off the steep. Kelly sustained injuries to the brain, thorax, and femur which worsened her situation. She died on September 14, 1982, when her husband decided to turn off her life support. However, her daughter survived the crash with minor injuries. Kelly was buried in the Grimaldi family vault after a requiem mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate in Monaco-Ville.
Grace Kelly left a lasting legacy on different platforms as an actress and princess. She is one of the iconic actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood with several awards, including an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards to her credit. Kelly occupies the 13th spot among the American Film Institute’s 25 Greatest Female Stars of Classical Hollywood Cinema. The Princess Grace Awards was set up in 1984 to encourage emerging performers across film, theatre, and dance. Her only son, Prince Albert helped in establishing the award. Kelly also got her star on the Holywood Walk of Fame.
In addition to her acting legacy, Grace Kelly made a great impact on many lives as the Princess of Monaco. She was deeply involved in philanthropic activities, particularly concerned about orphanage homes. The Princess of Monaco founded AMADE Mondiale, a non-profit organization poised to protect children irrespective of race and religion. To help local artisans thrive, Kelly founded the Princess Grace Foundation in 1964. For her selfless service to humanity, the late actress was honored on a postage stamp in both Monaco and the United States of America.
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