Grace Kelly

Background

Grace Kelly was born to John B. Kelly, Sr., and Margaret Katherine Majer. Margaret, John Jr., and Elizabeth were her three siblings. She attended Ravenhill Academy and Stevens School. She took part in many fashion events and even acted in a few plays throughout her school years. In 1947, she chose to pursue a career in acting and modeling and enrolled at New York’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She played Tracy Lord in the play “The Philadelphia Story” in her last performance at the academy.

In 1949, she began a career on Broadway, with “The Father” being her first production. She moved to Hollywood and performed in a few television shows before starring in a tiny role in the film “Fourteen Hours” in 1951. In the film “High Noon,” she made her big break in Hollywood in 1952. This picture won her critical acclaim as well as a seven-year contract with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer media business (M.G.M.).

She got a Golden Globe Award for her work in the film “Mogambo” the following year. She next appeared in the television play “The Way of an Eagle,” followed by a role in the film “Dial M for Murder.” “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” on which she collaborated with actor William Holden, was her next project. She worked in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Rear Window” in 1954, which was her second collaboration with him. In 1954, she starred in Andrew Marton’s film “Green Fire.” She worked in the film “To Catch a Thief,” which was released in 1955, the following year.

Kelly gave up acting when she was at the top of her game. Her marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 19, 1956, forced her to give up her American citizenship, and her films were banned in her adopted country. The couple had three children: Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco. She formed the philanthropic organization AMADE Mondiale, which was also designated as a non-governmental organization (N.G.O.) by the United Nations. She founded the Princess Grace Foundation in 1964 to aid local artisans. She was also a supporter of the breastfeeding advocacy group La Leche League. This Princess of Monaco died in an accident on her way back to Monaco from her home in Roc Agel on September 13, 1982. The Princess Grace Hospital Center, the hospital where she was admitted, was eventually renamed after her.