35+ Facts About Grace Kelly, the

Movie Star Who Became a Princess

By Francesca Vega - 12/28/20

35+ Facts About Grace Kelly

A princess and movie star, Grace Kelly was the epitome of elegance
and poise. But, how much do you know about the famous actress’s
life? Born into an accomplished family, young Grace started off on the
theater stage and ended up living in a palace. She was mentored by
some of Hollywood’s most towering figures, and went on to leave a
legacy felt by millions. A fashion icon and classic beauty, read on to
learn more about Princess Grace of Monaco.

Philadelphia, Born and Raised

On November 12th, 1929, little Grace Patricia Kelly was born in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She had two elder siblings — John Jr.
and Margaret — and a younger sister named Elizabeth. Kelly’s father,
John B. Kelly Sr., was an Irish-American who owned a thriving
brickwork contracting business.
Philadelphia, Born and Raised
John Kelly ran for Mayor of Philadelphia in 1935 when Grace was still
a child, but lost by a historically close margin. Grace Kelly’s mother,
Margaret, was a teacher and became a housewife after getting
married.
Her Yearbook Predicted Big Things
Grace Kelly was educated at a reputable Catholic girls’ school, and
took up some extra-curricular activities. She modeled at local charity
events and played the lead in local plays.
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Her Yearbook Predicted Big Things

In the prophecy section of Kelly’s yearbook from elite private institution

Stevens School, it reads, “Miss Grace P. Kelly – a famous star of
stage and screen.” How true that would turn out to be! In the
yearbook, a young Kelly named her favorite actress as Ingrid
Bergman, and her favorite actor as Joseph Cotton.

The Kellys Were Athletic

We’ve mentioned that John Kelly Sr. had a brickwork company, but he
also has an impressive athletic past. In fact, Grace Kelly’s father won
three Olympic gold medals with the US rowing team.
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The Kellys Were Athletic

We also mentioned that Kelly’s mother was a teacher, but she was
actually the first woman to coach women’s athletics at the University
of Pennsylvania. In this family snap from 1947, a still brunette Grace
Kelly poses arm in arm with her father and brother on Southampton
pier.
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Talent Ran in the Family
Yes, the Kellys boasted a gold medal-winning Olympian and a female
athletics coach, but that didn’t mean they were a family of jocks.
Rather, the extended Kelly family also possessed a significant amount
of artistic talent.
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Talent Ran in the Family

Grace Kelly’s uncle, George Kelly, won the Pulitzer Prize for one of his
many plays. Her uncle, Walter C. Kelly, was a vaudeville performer
and actor.
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Uncle George Helped With School

Grace Kelly used one of her Uncle George’s plays to audition for the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Uncle George helped out in
more practical terms, too, because the school was full by the time
Grace Kelly auditioned. Using his influence, George Kelly got his
niece an interview with the admissions officer.
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Uncle George Helped With School

These efforts paid off, and Kelly made her Broadway debut in the
1949 production of The Father. In her graduation performance, Kelly
was Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, a role she would later return
to.
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John Kelly Sr. Didn’t Approve

While most people look at Grace Kelly’s career with awe and
admiration, her own father wasn’t impressed at all. John Kelly Sr. was
an old fashioned man and thought that acting was vulgar. In fact,
when Grace Kelly enrolled in her Dramatic Arts school, her father
declared her career choice “a cut above being a streetwalker.”
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John Kelly Sr. Didn’t Approve

In this 1949 picture, Grace Kelly is only 19 years old and posing for a
portrait. That same year, she was rejected by Bennington College,
and decided to act instead.
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Voice Lessons Were Necessary

Of course, since she was brought up in Philadelphia, Grace Kelly
initially had a Philly twang. One of Kelly’s biographers, James Spada,
writes that the actress’s new teachers at the Academy of Dramatic
Arts informed her that she needed elocution lessons.
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Voice Lessons Were Necessary

Describing it, Spada writes, “So Grace developed this almost British
way of speaking...very measured, the vowels very well rounded.” This
accent is known as Mid-Atlantic or Transatlantic, and is a combination
of neutral British and American accents.
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Kelly Had a Rebellious Streak

When Grace Kelly moved to New York City to study acting, her
parents requested that she live in the Barbizon Hotel for Women. The
facility offered a safe haven for young ladies living in the big city, and
has housed many famous women over the years, including Joan
Didion, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli, and Sylvia Plath.
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Kelly Had a Rebellious Streak

According to Kelly’s biographer, she didn’t exactly enjoy the restrictive
nature of the Barbizon — “Grace's rebellious streak really showed up
at the Barbizon. She broke a lot of the rules.”
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There’s a Fan Club

In this picture, Grace Kelly enjoys a cup of coffee on the set of 1954
film Green Fire. Just three years before, she was offered her first role
in a feature film by director Henry Hathaway. Kelly’s role in the film
noir drama — Fourteen Hours — was small, but she made an
impression.
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There’s a Fan Club

After the film was released, the Grace Kelly Fan Club was created and
started to attract significant numbers. When asked about her
burgeoning following, the actress commented that her fan club was
“terrifically amusing.”
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The Dating Started Early

Grace Kelly went on to have something of a legendary love life, and
her proclivity for dating started in her teenage years. When Kelly was
at acting school in New York, she started seeing one of her acting
instructors, Don Richardson. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kelly’s
conservative parents were not pleased with the union.
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The Dating Started Early

Not only was Richardson one of Kelly’s teachers, but he was also
previously married (and not yet divorced), older, and wasn't Catholic.
Reportedly, when Grace brought Richardson to meet her family, it was
“a disaster.”
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She Faced Harsh Reviews

Though she went on to become a celebrated and beloved actress,
Grace Kelly did face some tough reviews when she was starting out.
Kelly was cast as a young Quaker bride in 1952 Western High Noon,
and played opposite Gary Cooper, who was 28 years older than her.
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She Faced Harsh Reviews

Though the movie took home four Academy Awards, critics were
unexcited by Kelly’s performance. Famed director Alfred Hitchcock
even referred to the actress’s turn in the film as “rather mousy.”
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MGM Offered Her a Contract

In 1952, director John Ford flew Grace Kelly to Los Angeles to
audition for a role in the adventure film, Mogambo. The director
remarked that the young actress showed, “breeding, quality, and
class,” and offered her the part as well as a seven-year contract with
MGM Studios.
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MGM Offered Her a Contract

Though the offered salary of $850 per week was low, Kelly signed the
contract based on two conditions — the actress wished to live in her
own New York City home, and to have time off every other year to
work in theater.
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Africa Was Appealing

To film adventure-drama Mogambo, Grace Kelly flew to Nairobi,
Kenya along with cast and crew. The actress later admitted that she
wouldn’t have signed on for the movie if it had been filmed elsewhere.
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Africa Was Appealing

The Hollywood star told columnist Hedda Hopper, “Mogambo had

three things that interested me: John Ford, Clark Gable, and a trip to
Africa, with expenses paid. If Mogambo had been made in Arizona, I
wouldn't have done it.” Filming for the movie took three months.
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Rear Window Was Meant to Be

One of Grace Kelly’s most famous roles is alongside the iconic James
Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock’s mystery thriller, Rear Window. However,
Kelly wouldn’t have scooped the role had she not turned down the part
of Edie Doyle in Elia Kazan’s crime drama On the Waterfront.
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Rear Window Was Meant to Be

Kelly turned down the juicy role for Rear Window, which is now
considered one of the best movies ever made. In this snap, a 24-year-
old Kelly celebrates her birthday on the Paramount lot.
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Alfred Hitchcock Was Her Mentor

We’ve mentioned Alfred Hitchcock already, partly because he
described Grace Kelly’s performance in High Noon as “rather mousy.”
Well, Hitchcock went on to remark that the actress “really blossomed”
in her later movies, revealing genuine star quality.
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Alfred Hitchcock Was Her Mentor

Grace Kelly was a classic Hitchcock icy blonde and starred in three of
the director’s movies. Apparently, while making Dial M for Murder,
Hitchcock constantly discussed Rear Window with Kelly, even though
she hadn’t agreed to star in it yet. In this picture, the pair enjoy tea on
set.
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James Stewart Was Excited
The wonderful James Stewart was very excited to work with Grace
Kelly in Rear Window, and the pair went on to be close friends.
Speaking about her acting style, Stewart remarked, “You can see her
thinking the way she’s supposed to think in the role. You know she’s
listening, and not just for cues.”
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James Stewart Was Excited

Stewart actually went on to give the eulogy at Grace Kelly’s funeral,

where he remarked that she was "just about the nicest lady I ever
met."
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She Won an Academy Award

Though Grace Kelly had a relatively short movie career, that didn’t
stop her from taking home the most coveted award of all — an Oscar.
Kelly took home the Best Actress Academy Award for 1954
drama The Country Girl, beating Judy Garland’s performance in A
Star Is Born.
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She Won an Academy Award

Excited to win, Kelly remarked in her speech, “The thrill of this
moment keeps me from saying what I really feel.” In this picture, she
admires her award with co-star William Holden.
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Grace Kelly Loved Men

In her day, Grace Kelly was accused of being a homewrecker due to
her relationships and affairs with Hollywood’s leading men. In her first
film High Noon, Kelly hooked up with the married Gary Cooper, who
was 28 years her senior. While making Mogambo, she got together
with Clark Gable, and during Dial M for Murder, she was with Ray
Miller.
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Grace Kelly Loved Men

While making The Country Girl, Kelly was cozy with Bing Crosby, but
reportedly, the actor walked in on Kelly in bed with Marlon Brando.
Phew!
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Cary Grant Loved Her

For her final Hitchcock movie, Grace Kelly starred alongside actor
Cary Grant in the romantic thriller, To Catch a Thief. The film was shot
in the French Riviera with Grant playing a retired burglar, and Kelly
playing his love interest. Critics praised the pair’s chemistry and
charm.
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Cary Grant Loved Her

Indeed, Cary Grant and Grace Kelly came to admire each other and
remained lifelong friends. When asked who his favorite leading lady
was, Grant responded, “Well, with all due respect to dear Ingrid
Bergman, I much preferred Grace.”
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Grace Wanted a Strong Husband

Grace Kelly dated lots of men, but ultimately, she wanted a husband
who wouldn’t be intimidated by her career and presence. Some of
Kelly’s previous partners had disappointed and angered her traditional
parents, and it’s thought that the actress chose her husband in order
to please her father.
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Grace Wanted a Strong Husband

In 1955, the actress attended the Cannes Film Festival and was asked
to be in a photo session at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. There, she
would meet the strong man she was looking for — Prince Rainier III.
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Their Meeting Wasn’t Straightforward

This picture, taken in 1955, shows Grace Kelly promoting The Country
Girl at Cannes Film Festival. The actress was on a train when she was
asked by a companion to join them at a meeting with Prince Rainier.
Because Kelly’s trip was paid for by Paramount, she initially turned
down the offer.
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Their Meeting Wasn’t Straightforward

Once she decided to go, Kelly faced a power shutdown because of a
worker’s strike, and a minor car accident on the way to the palace.
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There Were Two Engagement Rings

Once they finally met, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco hit it
off. They corresponded with each other for a year before the Prince
proposed over Christmas, in 1955. Kelly’s engagement ring was made
from diamond and rubies, and combined two family heirlooms.
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There Were Two Engagement Rings

When she was filming High Society, Rainier presented the actress
with a second engagement ring to wear during production. The
second ring has an emerald-cut diamond with diamond baguettes.
This picture is a photo-op with the actress’s parents, taken in 1956.
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She Had to Pay a Dowry

In order to marry into the royal family of Monaco, Grace Kelly had to
pay a significant dowry of $2 million. Despite being a wealthy man,
Kelly’s father was outraged at this demand and didn’t want to pay. He
is quoted as saying, “My daughter doesn't have to pay any man to
marry her.”
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She Had to Pay a Dowry

In the end, the Kellys did pay the dowry, partly from Grace Kelly’s
inheritance and partly from her earnings. In this picture, the actress
and her fiancé arrive at their engagement party.
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Rainier and Kelly Married Twice

Grace Kelly was a Catholic, which was appropriate for the Royal
Family of Monaco. Kelly and Prince Rainier had two wedding
ceremonies — a religious service, as well as a civil service. Their civil
service took only 16 minutes and occurred in the palace throne room.
The reception was attended by 3,000 Monegasque citizens.
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Rainier and Kelly Married Twice

The couple’s religious ceremony took place at Saint Nicholas

Cathedral with 700 guests. The cathedral was adorned with flowers
and chandeliers, and the altar surrounded by glowing candles.
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Princess Wasn’t Her Only Title

Once Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier were married, their official titles
were recited. Having married the Prince, Kelly took on 142 official
titles, including Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco.
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Princess Wasn’t Her Only Title

Rainier was also the head of the House Grimaldi, the Duke of
Valentinois, the Duke of Estouteville, and the Marquis of Baux. Kelly
acquired all of these titles and eventually passed them on to her
children, too. After their wedding, the newlyweds took a seven-week
honeymoon on Rainier’s yacht.
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The Wedding Was World News

In our current media-saturated world, we’re used to massive media
events. However, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier’s royal wedding was
considered the first event to generate considerable media overkill.
Over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch what was referred to as “the
wedding of the century.”
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The Wedding Was World News

Grace Kelly made a deal with MGM to be released from her contract
in exchange for them broadcasting the wedding ceremonies.
Eventually, there was so much anticipation for the event that French
riot police were called in.
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The Dress Took Six Weeks

Making use of her Hollywood contacts, Grace Kelly’s wedding dress
was designed by Academy Award-winning designer Helen Rose. The
dress was a gift to the actress from MGM and it took six weeks to
make. Overall, three dozen seamstresses worked on the gown.
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The Dress Took Six Weeks

The dress for the religious ceremony — pictured here — featured a
lace high neck collar and sleeves, a fitted waist, and a long flowing
skirt. The gown used silk taffeta, silk net, tulle, and 125-year old rose
point lace.
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Prince Rainier Arrived Last

Though many people are used to awaiting a bride’s arrival, in Monaco,
the groom arrives last. At Grace Kelly’s wedding, her father walked
her down the aisle, and then Rainier was played in by trumpets. When
it was time to leave the church, the pair traveled in a Rolls-Royce
gifted to them by the Monegasque people.
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Prince Rainier Arrived Last

The elaborate six-tiered wedding cake at the couple’s reception was

actually a replica of the Prince’s palace. Rainier cut the cake with his
ceremonial sword.
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Acting Wasn’t Appropriate

Grace Kelly was at the height of her career when she got married, and
she stopped making movies in order to take on her new role as a
Princess. In total, Kelly made 11 films during her short career, with five
of those released in 1954.
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Acting Wasn’t Appropriate

In this picture, taken before her wedding in 1956, Grace Kelly clears
out her closet at MGM in preparation for moving on to her new life. As
a princess, Kelly was involved with numerous philanthropic and charity
organizations.
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Grace Kelly Had Three Children

We already know that Grace Kelly had to pay $2 million in dowry to
marry her Prince, but she also had to take a fertility test. It wasn’t an
option that the Princess not produce an heir for the Royal line, so she
had to prove her fertility in advance of the nuptials.
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Grace Kelly Had Three Children

Altogether, Princess Grace had three children — Princess Caroline,

born 1957, Prince Albert, born 1958, and Princess Stéphanie, born
1965. Kelly was a big advocate of breastfeeding and breastfed all of
her children.
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Oleg Cassini Almost Married Her

Before meeting Prince Rainier, Grace Kelly was dating Russian
fashion designer Oleg Cassini. The designer had watched the actress
in Mogambo and sent her a bunch of red roses every day until she
agreed to meet him for lunch. Eventually, the couple was engaged,
but Kelly’s parents disapproved of Cassini’s Russian heritage and
divorces.
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Oleg Cassini Almost Married Her

Interestingly, Oleg Cassini takes credit for Kelly’s iconic fashion sense,
telling People magazine, “I created the Grace Kelly look.” The
designer did indeed go on to dress Jacqueline Kennedy.
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Hitchcock Wanted Her for Marnie

In this image, Grace Kelly reads through her lines for Dial M for
Murder, the first of her thrillers with Alfred Hitchcock, back in 1954.
After becoming a princess, Kelly no longer acted, and her husband
banned her films in Monaco, saying it was inappropriate for her
position.
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Hitchcock Wanted Her for Marnie

Alfred Hitchcock tried to tempt Kelly into playing the lead in Marnie in
1964, but the citizens of Monaco protested. The director also tried to
hire her for Birds. Both roles went to Tippi Hedren.
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John Kelly Remained Unimpressed

Kelly’s biographer, Gwen Robyns reveals that John Kelly wanted his
children to be strong, “And there was little puny Grace, with her
sniveling and her asthma, and little skinny legs, and he just thought
this was the runt of the litter... introspective and timid.”
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John Kelly Remained Unimpressed

Despite Grace’s immense success, her father was never impressed.

After she won her Oscar, he remarked, “I simply can’t believe Grace
won. Of my four children, she’s the last one I’d expect to support me in
my old age.”
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She Wasn’t Always Considered Beautiful

This picture, taken in 1938, shows a nine-year-old Grace Kelly with
her sister Elizabeth. Though Kelly is now considered one of the most
beautiful women that has ever lived, her family and childhood friends
didn’t think of her as beautiful.
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She Wasn’t Always Considered Beautiful

A childhood friend remarked, "Grace always a bandana on, and had
the glasses, and the sweater, nothing glamorous. And when she went
to New York and we started to see her on television, and in
magazines, it was, 'My heavens! That's our Grace?'"
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Monaco Celebrated American Week

Once Grace Kelly relocated to Monaco, she introduced some holidays
from her home country. Each year, Princess Grace would host an
American Week, where guests would eat ice cream and play baseball.
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Monaco Celebrated American Week

Likewise, the Princess celebrated Thanksgiving every year, though it

was difficult to source turkey in Europe at that time. Prince Albert —
Kelly’s son, and the current Prince of Monaco — now continues this
tradition. The Prince recalls, “If we didn’t have turkey at the palace for
Thanksgiving, we would have it at Christmas time.”
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There’s a Grace Kelly Rose
Grace Kelly was often associated with flowers, and even published a
book entitled My Book of Flowers in 1980. The book discussed floral
aesthetics, flowers as beauty aids, flowers in home remedies, and
flower pressing. Fittingly, following her passing, Prince Rainier opened
a rose garden for the Princess.
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There’s a Grace Kelly Rose

Additionally, a species of hybrid tea rose was named after Grace Kelly
— the Rose Princesse de Monaco. Other memorials for the Princess
include a statue made of roses in the rose garden, as well as the
Princess Grace Irish Library.
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Grace Was Considered a Lady

Throughout her life — and despite her prolific lovers — Grace Kelly
was considered to be prim and proper. When she appeared on the
front cover of Time in 1955, the magazine described her as the “Girl in
White Gloves,” and said she was a change from the usual Hollywood
sirens.
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Grace Was Considered a Lady

Because of this, journalists often called her “The Lady” or “Miss Kelly.”
Going on to become a princess only solidified this image, making
Grace Kelly the epitome of elegance and class.
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Grace Kelly Loved to Film

As we know, Grace Kelly made her name in front of the camera, but
she also loved to take photographs and film those around her. The
actress could often be seen with her Rolleiflex camera, which she
uses here at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
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Grace Kelly Loved to Film

Princess Grace would often film her family life in Monaco, and also
took her camera on film shoots. In 1955, Kelly met photographer
Howell Conant who went on to become the unofficial photographer of
the House of Grimaldi.
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Hermes Named a Purse After Her

Grace Kelly got her first Hermes purse in 1954 while filming To Catch
a Thief. Two years later, the Princess held the purse in front of her
pregnant stomach, and it was therein known as the Kelly bag. Hermes
officially renamed the purse in 1977.
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Hermes Named a Purse After Her

The Kelly purse is a top handle bag with a detachable shoulder strap,
and was designed as a luxury item to be worn by “the princesses of
the world.” The most expensive Kelly purse was sold for $125,000.
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Grace Kelly’s Style Is Iconic

Pictured here in a green silk dress at the 1955 Academy Awards,
Grace Kelly was an extremely beautiful and fashionable woman.
Kelly’s clothing has been exhibited in museums across the world, and
her style served as inspiration for countless designers, including
Tommy Hilfiger and Zac Posen.
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Grace Kelly’s Style is Iconic

With her fresh-faced beauty and classic style, Grace Kelly was a
departure from her Hollywood bombshell peers. Mad Men’s ice queen
housewife, Betty Draper, was based on the actress and is compared
with her directly in the show.
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Limericks Were Her Favorite

Though Grace Kelly was thought of as 'The Lady in the White Gloves,'
sources report that she wasn’t so prim and proper in private.
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Limericks Were Her Favorite

Louisette Levy-Soussan Azzoaglio served as the Princess’s assistant,

and said, “She wasn't stuffy. She had a mischievous sense of humor,
a glint of naughtiness in her eye, and a great passion for limericks —
even saucy ones. The actor David Niven shared her love of banter.
There were gales of laughter every time he visited the palace.”
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Grace Kelly Missed Acting

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Grace Kelly did miss her acting career once
she got married. After all, she had only been working in movies for five
years, and suddenly had to give up her career. This picture, taken
while Kelly was still working, shows the actress with costar Bing
Crosby.
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Grace Kelly Missed Acting

According to Vanity Fair, the princess hoped that she could return to
the big screen, but her husband wasn’t interested — the roles were
problematic and her royal schedule was all-consuming.
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Palace Fashion Etiquette Was Relaxed

While Grace Kelly was often seen in glamorous gowns, she stuck to a
more casual look at home, and usually wore pants. At this time, it
wasn’t popular for women in Morocco to wear trousers in the palace,
but Kelly’s casual-chic attire paved the way. Likewise, women usually
wore hats in the palace, but Kelly also relaxed this rule.
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Palace Fashion Etiquette Was Relaxed

Even when dressed casually, Grace Kelly’s sartorial choices were well
put-together and crisp. She favored button-down shirts and cropped
pants.
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Grace and Rainier Rest Together

Sadly, Grace Kelly passed away before her time, at just 52 years old.
The Princess suffered a stroke while driving with her daughter,
causing a motoring accident that led to her death. Princess Stéphanie
survived the incident.
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Grace and Rainier Rest Together

Over 400 people attended Princess Grace’s funeral including Diana,

Princess of Wales, Cary Grant, and Nancy Reagan. James Stewart
delivered the eulogy. Prince Rainier never remarried and was buried
alongside his wife in the family crypt when he passed away in 2005.
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A Comeback Was Planned

Despite Grace Kelly not working as an actress following her marriage
into the Monegasque Royal Family, she had been planning a
comeback. Kelly worked with her husband (who made his acting
debut) to produce a 33-minute independent film in 1979 and had
already received interest from ABC executives.
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A Comeback Was Planned

Sadly, Grace passed before the film was completed and it was never
released. Prince Rainier established the Princess Grace Foundation-
USA, which supports up-and-coming American artists in his wife’s
honor.