Grace Kelly: her amazing life in pictures - Photography Photography Previous slide Next slide 1 of 42 View All Skip Ad Grace Kelly, the Fifties film star who became a princess, was born in 1929. After making her name in films such as High Noon, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 19 1956 and retired from acting. She died in a car crash in 1982 after suffering a stroke while driving. Grace Kelly - Biography - IMDb Grace Kelly Biography Showing all 104 items Jump to: Overview (5) | Mini Bio (2) | Spouse (1) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (67) | Personal Quotes (26) | Salary (1) Overview (5) 14 September 1982 , Monaco (injuries from car accident) Birth Name 5' 6½" (1.69 m) Mini Bio (2) Grace Patricia Kelly was born on November 12, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to wealthy parents.

She was the daughter of Margaret Katherine (Majer), a phys ed instructor, and John Brendan Kelly, Sr., a three-time Olympic Gold winner for rowing. Her uncle was playwright George Kelly . She was of half Irish and half German descent. Her girlhood was uneventful for the most part, but one of the things she desired was to become an actress which she had decided on at an early age. After her high school graduation in 1947, Grace struck out on her own, heading to New York's bright lights to try her luck there. Grace worked as a model and made her debut on Broadway in 1949. She also made a brief foray into the infant medium of television. Not content with the work in New York, Grace moved to Southern California for the more prestigious part of acting -- motion pictures. In 1951, she appeared in her first film entitled Fourteen Hours (1951) when she was 22. It was a small part, but a start nonetheless. The following year, she landed the role of Amy Kane in High Noon (1952), a western starring Gary Cooper and Lloyd Bridges which turned out to be very popular.

In 1953, Grace appeared in only one film, but it was another popular one. The film was Mogambo (1953) where Grace played Linda Nordley. The film was a jungle drama in which fellow cast members, Clark Gable and Ava Gardner turned in masterful performances. It was also one of the best films ever released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Although she got noticed with High Noon, her work with director Alfred Hitchcock , which began with Dial M for Murder (1954) made her a star. Her standout performance in Rear Window (1954) brought her to prominence. As Lisa Fremont, she was cast opposite James Stewart , who played a photographer who witnesses a murder in an apartment across the courtyard while convalescing in a wheelchair. Grace stayed busy in 1954 appearing in five films. Grace would forever be immortalized by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Georgie Elgin opposite Bing Crosby in The Country Girl (1954). In 1955, Grace once again teamed with Hitchcock in To Catch a Thief (1955) co-starring Cary Grant .

In 1956, she played Tracy Lord in the musical comedy High Society (1956) which also starred Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby . The whimsical tale ended with her re-marrying her former husband, played by Crosby. The film was well received and also turned out to be her final acting performance. In the summer of 1954, Kelly and Cary Grant were on the French Riviera, working on To Catch a Thief. It was probably the scene after Grace speeds along the Moyen Corniche to quickly get to the "picnic grounds", and away from a tailing police car, that she had time to look at the Mediterranean and the countryside along the coast. "Whose gardens are those?" she asked screenwriter John Michael Hayes . "Prince Grimaldi's". She would not meet the prince until the following year. In New York in March 1955, she received a call from Rupert Allan, Look Magazine's west coast editor, who had become a friend since writing three cover stories on her. The French government wanted her to attend the Cannes Film Festival that May. She had some good reasons to go. One: The Country Girl (1954) would be shown at the festival.

Two: she had really loved working on the Riviera the summer before. She met Prince Rainier of Monaco during the Cannes festival. He needed a wife, because with no heir to the throne, Monaco would again be part of France, after his death, all its citizens would have to pay French taxes. And Kelly thought it was time for her to select a husband, one who would finally meet with her parents' approval. Her biographers show that the life of a princess was not exactly living happily ever after. Old friends from Philadelphia as well as people she had known in Hollywood reported how glad she was to talk about her life in America and to be speaking English. And then on a cliff road she had known so well since her first visit to the Riviera, there was the fatal crash. The spot is often said to be the same spot where the picnic scene from To Catch a Thief was filmed in 1954. However, Kelly's own son, Prince Albert of Monaco , has categorically denied this on Larry King Live and elsewhere; according to him, the accident did not even happen on the same road, let alone at the same spot.

For the rest of her life, she was to remain in the news with her marriage and her three children. On September 14, 1982, Grace was killed in an automobile accident in her adoptive home country, Monaco, at age 52. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Pedro Borges Spouse (1) ( 18 April 1956 - 14 September 1982) (her death) (3 children) Trade Mark (2) Her poised, calm, cool and collected demeanor and blond hair often coiffed in a bun Often cast as the love interest of the leading man who is over 20 years older. Trivia (67) Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#5) (1995). Ranked #51 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997] Hoped to return to acting in Alfred Hitchcock 's Marnie (1964), but the people of Monaco did not want their princess playing a thief and romancing Sean Connery .

Had three children with Prince Rainier of Monaco : Princess Caroline of Monaco (1957), Prince Albert of Monaco (1958) and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco (1965). Her movies were banned in Monaco by order of Prince Rainier of Monaco . The inscription at her burial site in Monaco's cathedral does not refer to her as a princess. It uses the title "uxor principis" (prince's wife), which is traditional in the House of Grimaldi. Following her untimely death, she was interred at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Monaco. Assisted in the pre-production status of Grace Kelly (1983) starring Cheryl Ladd as Grace Kelly. Actress Rita Gam was among her bridesmaids. Born at 5:31 AM EST. In 1993, the United States and Monaco simultaneously released a commemorative postage stamp honoring her. However, United States federal law forbids postage stamps depicting foreign heads of state, so the United States stamp listed her as "Grace Kelly", while the Monaco stamp listed her as "Princess Grace".

Part of Prince Rainier of Monaco 's attraction to marrying a movie star was to increase tourism in his tiny, cash-poor principality, and the Kelly family was turned off by his demands that a substantial dowry accompany Grace to Monaco. A figure of $2,000,000 was finally agreed upon, which was diverted from Grace's inheritance so that her brother and two sisters would not be shortchanged. Kelly's wedding gown was the most expensive garment that MGM designer Helen Rose had ever made. It used twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and one hundred yards of silk net. Its 125-year-old rose point lace was purchased from a museum and thousands of tiny pearls were sewn on the veil. Was considered for the role of Maggie the Cat in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) that was eventually played by Elizabeth Taylor . The so-called "wealthy" family Grace was born into was actually an immigrant family of bricklayers who had barely a generation of newfound business success. Grace's father and brother were both Olympic gold-medal scullers. Grace's cousin, former US Secy of Navy John Lehman, Jr. now chairs the Princess Grace Foundation, which supports young performing talent.

Attended and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York. The Country Girl (1954), the film that won Kelly an Oscar, was first offered to Jennifer Jones , who had to turn it down due to pregnancy. When she left Hollywood, several roles she was slated to play were eventually filled by Lauren Bacall ( Designing Woman (1957) and The Cobweb (1955)). Director George Stevens also wanted her for Giant (1956). Niece of playwright George Kelly . Kelly was the daughter of John Brendan Kelly, Sr. (1889-1960), the son of Irish immigrants, and his wife Margaret Katherine (Majer), whose parents were German. She had three siblings: Peggy, John Jr. and Lizzane. On January 1959, the Austrian government awarded her a medal of merit for aid to Hungarian refugees escaping Russian invasion, given through Monaco's Red Cross. She was one of many famous tenants of the Barbizon Hotel for Women when she lived in New York.

Other tenants included Candice Bergen , Liza Minnelli , Cloris Leachman , Ali MacGraw , and Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale . She was voted the 27th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Referenced in the songs "Grace Kelly", by Die Ärzte; "Grace Kelly Blues" by Eels ( Mark Oliver Everett ),"Grace Kelly with Wings" by Piebald; and "Grace Kelly" by Mika. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6329 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. Hedda Hopper reported that Judy Garland 's loss of the Academy Award to Grace for The Country Girl (1954) was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that did not end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was such a heartbreak from which Judy Garland never recovered from, mentally. Judy Garland was nominated for her role in A Star Is Born (1954) and which has remained a matter of some controversy.

Summoned Sydney Guilaroff , the chief hairstylist at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to style her hair for her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. She was voted the 12th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine. Was named #13 Actress on The American Film Institute's 50 Greatest Screen Legends The road accident which led to her death was apparently caused by a stroke she suffered while driving. Was romantically involved with fashion designer Oleg Cassini . Is portrayed by Christina Applegate and Cheryl Ladd in Grace Kelly (1983). Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna 's song "Vogue". Broke off her engagement to Oleg Cassini to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco . Bought a silver frame as a wedding gift to Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981. While pregnant with Princess Caroline of Monaco , Grace often used her Hermès bag to shield her belly from prying paparazzi. The company nicknamed that purse "the Kelly bag". Her favorite flowers were roses. After her death, Prince Rainier of Monaco opened a public rose garden in Monaco. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives".

Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 447-450. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. In Italy, a vast number of her films were dubbed by Fiorella Betti . She was also dubbed by Miranda Bonansea , Dhia Cristiani and Rina Morelli , respectively in High Noon (1952), Dial M for Murder (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). Was offered to do a role in 11-time Oscar-nominated The Turning Point (1977). In her youth, her favorite actors were Joseph Cotten and Ingrid Bergman . (April 19, 1956) Her wedding's church ceremony at Monaco's Saint Nicholas Cathedral was exclusively filmed by MGM and made into the documentary The Wedding in Monaco (1956). The 600 guests included David Niven , Gloria Swanson , Ava Gardner and Conrad Hilton . Attended and graduated from Stevens School in Germantown, Philadelphia in 1947.

On the day she perished in a car accident, she was allegedly driving a British Rover 3500. Cary Grant named her as his favorite co-star. His friends and family said Kelly's death hit him much harder than the deaths of Louis Mountbatten , Alfred Hitchcock and even Ingrid Bergman . She and her husband Prince Rainier of Monaco , were at the opening of Expo '58 in Brussels. Grandmother of: Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre Casiraghi, Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Louis and Pauline Ducruet, Camille Gottlieb, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Coste . Was considered for the role of Sarah in Guys and Dolls (1955), however Jean Simmons was cast instead. Was allegedly romantically involved with all of her leading men apart from James Stewart . She was also linked to Marlon Brando , David Niven and Jean-Pierre Aumont . Her father built a beach house at the corner of 26th and Wesley in Ocean City, New Jersey in 1929.

It became a popular family vacation destination, and hosted celebrity guests such as Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Jerry Lewis , Bob Hope and Bing Crosby . Grace's sister, Lizanne, lived in the house until it was sold in 2001. All of her leading men were old enough to be her father (with the exception of William Holden , who was 11 years older than her and Louis Jourdan, who was only 8 years older). Former mother-in-law of Stefano Casiraghi (1983-1990) and mother-in-law of Daniel Ducruet (1995-1996). She was also the future mother-in-law of Princess Charlene of Monaco . Was good friends with actress Maureen O'Hara . She and her husband Prince Rainier of Monaco became pregnant twice in 1962; on both occasions she suffered miscarriages. Ranked #86 in Men's Health magazine's 100 Hottest Women of all Time (2011). The very first actress to appear on a postage stamp in 1993.

She graduated from Stevens School in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 5, 1947; her classmates predicted, in her senior yearbook, that she was certain "to become a stage and screen star". Her first date, Harper Davis, died in 1953 after contracting multiple sclerosis when he returned from World War II and whose funeral was attended by Grace Kelly. She was a registered Democrat and her family was close friends with Franklin D. Roosevelt during his administration. Was a Girl Scout. Was the 42nd actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Country Girl (1954) at The 27th Annual Academy Awards (1955) on March 30, 1955. She turned down the female lead in On the Waterfront (1954) in order to make Rear Window (1954) instead. Had appeared in three films directed by Alfred Hitchcock : Rear Window (1954), Dial M for Murder (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955).

Grace Kelly passed away on September 14, 1982, two months away from what would have been her 53rd birthday on November 12. Portrayed by Nicole Kidman in the fictionalized and critically ravished Grace of Monaco (2014). Kidman, however, was nominated for a SAG Award for her performance. It has been alleged that as member of the Twentieth Century Fox board of directors, Kelly was responsible for closing down Russ Meyer 's uncompleted "Who Killed Bambi?". MGM studios offered 70 000 dollars for the weeding of Grace Kelly, in gowns and bonus. Personal Quotes (26) Hollywood amuses me. Holier-than-thou for the public and unholier-than-the-devil in reality. I'll tell you one of the reasons I'm ready to leave. When I first came to Hollywood five years ago, my makeup call was at eight in the morning. On this movie it's been put back to seven-thirty. Every day I see Joan Crawford , who's been in makeup since five, and Loretta Young , who's been there since four in the morning.

I'll be god-damned if I'm going to stay in a business where I have to get up earlier and earlier and it takes longer and longer for me to get in front of a camera. I hated Hollywood. It's a town without pity. I know of no other place in the world where so many people suffer from nervous breakdowns, where there are so many alcoholics, neurotics, and so much unhappiness. Mogambo (1953) 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. At times, I think I actually hate Hollywood. I have many acquaintances there, but few friends. I came to success very quickly. Perhaps too quickly to value its importance. I would like to be remembered as someone who accomplished useful deeds, and who was a kind and loving person. I would like to leave the memory of a human being with a correct attitude and who did her best to help others. My father had a very simple view of life: you don't get anything for nothing. Everything has to be earned, through work, persistence and honesty.

My father also had a deep charm, the gift of winning our trust. He was the kind of man with whom many people dream of spending an evening. My real difficulty was to become a normal person again, after having been a movie actress for so long. For me, at the time I was living in New York and Hollywood, a normal person was someone who made movies. Mr. Hitchcock taught me everything about cinema. It was thanks to him that I understood that murder scenes should be shot like love scenes and love scenes like murder scenes. Of course, I think about marriage, but my career is still the most important thing for me. If I interrupt it now to get married, because I don't believe in a part-time family life, I would risk passing the rest of my existence wondering whether or not I would have been able to become a great actress. My parents, despite their serious attitude toward life in general, and that of their children in particular, were very broadminded people. There was no such thing as a bad profession for them. As I was their daughter, they knew that, whatever profession I chose, I would do it well. That was enough for them. There was always trust among the Kellys.

I've always treated my children as beings in their own right. I respect their feelings and aspirations entirely. When I married Prince Rainier, I married the man and not what he represented or what he was. I fell in love with him without giving a thought to anything else. I would like to say to my future fellow citizens that the Prince, my fiance, has taught me to love them. I already know a lot about them from the way he has described them to me, and my dearest desire today is to find a little place in their hearts. My love of flowers opened a lot of doors for me. I've made many friends because of their passion of flowers and their vast knowledge in this field. Although, I've played a wide variety of roles, I've never had the chance to act in a story written specially for me. It's a pity as they are the only stories that really let you reveal your personality. When Ava Gardner gets in a taxi, the driver knows at once she's Ava Gardner. It's the same for Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor , but not for me. I'm never Grace Kelly. I'm always someone who looks like Grace Kelly. Fairy tales tell imaginary stories. Me, I'm a living person.

I exist. If the story of my life as a real woman were to be told one day, people would at last discover the real being that I am. If there is one thing that is foreign to me it is shopping for pleasure. On the other hand, I believe that it is right to honour all those who create beautiful things and give satisfaction to those who see me wearing them. It would be very sad if children had no memories before those of school. What they need most is the love and attention of their mother. I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets. I'm basically a feminist. I think that women can do anything they decide to do. The studios are tenacious. When they want someone or something, they always get it in the end. I ended up signing a contract with MGM. I signed because they offered me the chance of shooting in Africa, but I signed it at the desk of the airport, when the engines of the plane were already turning. Before my marriage, I didn't think about all the obligations there were awaiting me. My experience has proved useful and I think that I have a natural propensity to feel compassion for people and their problems.

(On Gary Cooper ) He's the one who taught me to relax during a scene and let the camera do some of the work. On the stage you have to emote not only for the front rows, but for the balcony too, and I'm afraid I overdid it. He taught me the camera is always in front row, and how to take it easy... Salary (1) Car Crash of Grace Kelly: Death & Funeral of Princess Grace Car Crash of Grace Kelly: Death & Funeral of Princess Grace Grace of Monaco – The Movie Translate this site Movie Synopsis Grace of Monaco Film The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly’s crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco’s Prince Rainier III and France’s Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s. Derek Jacobi “Fairytales tell imaginary stories. Me, I’m a living person. I exist.

If the story of my life as a real women were to be told one day, people would at last discover the real being that I am.” Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco Discover the Real Princess Grace : and the truth behind the Grace of Monaco movie as recounted by one of her closest friends Death The Death of Princess Grace Princess Grace (Kelly) died on Sep 14, 1982 after a tragic car crash on the windy roads as she was driving from her country home to the Palace of Monaco. Even in an age before Twitter, social media and even the Internet, news of Princess Grace’s death spread around the word as people everywhere felt shock and disbelief. Unlike the portrayal in the 2014 Nicole Kidman movie “Grace of Monaco”, Princess Grace was not a reckless driver … even in the early years. Cary Grant recalls her driving very tamely – only making him nervous because she was not wearing her glasses when they filmed Grace Kelly driving in the hills above Monaco during Alfred Hitchock’s “To Catch a Thief”. Ultimately it was determined that Princess Grace died of a brain hemorrhage – a stroke that impeded her ability to maneuver the car.

To Catch a Thief – Grace Kelly – Grace of Monaco Car Crash of Grace Kelly: Death & Funeral The Car Accident It was shortly after 10 am Monday morning of September 13 when the car Princess Grace was driving missed a curve and catapulted down a cliff. It is a road that Princess Grace often travelled yet not often drove herself, but that morning she dismissed her chauffeur as there were dresses and boxes in the back seat. With her daughter Princess Stephanie as her passenger (as witnessed by a police officer as they drove by), Princess Grace set out on what should have been a relatively short drive in her beloved 11-year-old metallic green Rover 3500. The Car Crash Photos of the car crash show the severe state of the accident after dropping more than 100 feet over the retaining wall. These car crash pictures make one wonder how anyone could have survived this horrific accident. In all the confusion, initial rumors spread that Princess Stephanie was at the wheel despite numerous eyewitness accounts that did not see her driving. These rumors were fueled by the fact that Princess Stephanie had to escape from the car through the driver side window because the passenger door was impassable. Princess Stephanie miraculously survived the accident with a fractured vertebra in her neck.

Although there were initial reports Princess Grace was out of danger, suffering a broken thigh bone, collar bone and rib injuries, her head injuries were quite severe and ultimately she died from a second brain hemorrhage. This is a map image of the Princess Grace crash car site from above showing the road itself. (and this was not the same road that was filmed during To Catch a Thief). Princess Grace Funeral On Saturday Sep. 18, 1982 heads of state, celebrities, royals and close to 100 million television viewers said good-bye to Grace Kelly the Hollywood icon, and the legendary Princess Grace. The final resting place of Her Serene Highness is the same cathedral in which she had her fairy-tale wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956. Honoring Princess Grace In her last interview two months before Princess Grace died, she was asked how she would like to be remembered. She answered, “I would like to be remembered as a decent human being, and a caring one”. Those that want to get to know the real Grace, can now read the personal account shared in “My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco” through candid photos, letters and diaries that reveal her true character.

You will experience what her life, family and relationship with Prince Rainier were really like, at home at the Palace of Monaco, at their private retreat at Rocagel, and on family vacations. The last chapter is a rare glimpse into what her final days were like, on the last family vacation just one month before she died. ABC Special Report on Princess Grace Funeral This archival report brings you back to one of the saddest days in the Principality of Monaco – and around the world. September 18, 1982 brought to Monaco representatives of many governments and royal families, including Princess Diana, U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan, and Danielle Mitterrand (wife of the French President) – all sitting side-by-side. Photos and Images Funeral & Death of Grace Kelly Words may be foreign but photos and images are universal: More on Grace Kelly : Biography & Documentary Dr. Gabe Mirkin on Health, Fitness and Nutrition. | Grace Kelly, Death of a Princess Subscribe to Dr. Mirkin's free FITNESS & HEALTH NEWSLETTER Grace Kelly, Death of a Princess Grace Kelly was a famous Hollywood actress who became Princess Grace of Monaco and died at age 54 after driving a car off a hilly Monaco road.

Her father was Jack Kelly, a wealthy Philadelphia construction contractor who was also a three-time Olympic gold medal winner in rowing. Her brother was also an Olympic rowing champion. After high school, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her parents did not approve of her becoming an actress, so they paid for only one year’s tuition. She was so beautiful that she easily made the money she needed by modeling. Her Acting Career After her schooling, she was immediately able to get jobs in live television and the theater. In 1952 she got a featured part in the movie High Noon, where she was rumored to have spent time with Gary Cooper, a married man 28 years her senior. She also was close to actors Gene Lyons, Clark Gable, and Ray Milland, fashion designer Oleg Cassini, French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont, singer Bing Crosby and actor William Holden. Her movie career of 11 films lasted only five years, yet she ranks number one on a list of the most beautiful actresses ever.

Becoming a Princess At the 1956 Cannes Film Festival, Pierre Galante, the husband of actress Olivia de Havilland, arranged for her to meet Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Three days after meeting her, the 31-year-old cigar smoking and overweight prince proposed marriage to the lady he believed was a good choice to be the mother of his future children. He certainly was in a hurry to marry. His family, the House of Grimaldi, had ruled Monaco since 1297, but a treaty with France stated that if there was no legitimate heir, Monaco would become part of France. Rainier was running out of time. Her father gave Prince Rainier $2 million as a dowry and the couple was married on April 18, 1956. Six hundred guests attended and 30 million people watched the televised wedding during which Grace Kelly became Princess Grace of Monaco. The couple had three children: Caroline, Albert and Stephanie. The media reported rumors of many affairs with other people. Wendy Leigh, in her 2007 book, "True Grace", claimed that Prince Rainier took at least three mistresses soon after Grace became pregnant during their honeymoon.

The book also claimed that Grace had a string of romances before and after the wedding and lists some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood. During her marriage, she accepted an offer by Alfred Hitchcock to return to acting, but did not fulfill the contract. The Fatal Auto Accident Nobody really knows what caused Princess Grace's car crash. However, in 1989, seven years after the crash, Jeffrey Robinson wrote a book, "Rainier and Grace: An Intimate Portrait," in which her daughter is reported to have given the following account of the accident. On that morning, the chauffeur parked the couples' green Rover in front of the house to drive Princess Grace and her 17-year old daughter, Stephanie, to take a train to Paris, where Stephanie was going to start school. Almost always the chauffeur drove the car, but the back seat of the car was packed with dresses and large hat boxes, so there were only two seats left in front: one for the driver and one for one passenger. Grace told her chauffeur that she would drive. The chauffeur told her that they could leave the dresses, drive to the train station, and he would go back and pick the dresses up later.

Grace drove off and the chauffeur stayed home. Ten minutes later, she came to a 150 degree bend in the road where you have to turn very hard to the right just to stay on the road. She missed that turn and the Rover slammed through the small retaining wall, and flipped through more than 120 feet of trees. Stephanie told her sister, Caroline, how the crash occurred. "Mommy kept saying, I can't stop. The brakes don't work. I can't stop." She said that Mommy was in a complete panic. Stephanie grabbed the hand brake. She told me right after the accident, `I pulled on the hand brake but it wouldn't stop. I tried but I just couldn't stop the car." Stephanie also said that her mother complained of a headache, and the car started to swerve, she probably missed the brake and hit the accelerator instead. "A witness to the accident said that he was 50 yards behind the Rover, nearing that very steep, sharp curve, when he saw the Rover swerve violently, zigzagging across both lanes. Then the car straightened out and shot ahead very fast.

He knew the road and knew that the bend was coming up and, in those two or three seconds when he didn`t see any brake lights on, he realized what was going to happen." The police found no skid marks on the road. Neither Grace nor Stephanie was wearing a seat belt. Grace had a severe cut on her scalp and was found pinned by the steering column into the rear seat. She never woke up. Thirty-six hours after the accident, the life-support equipment was turned off and she died at 52 years of age. Close to 100 million people watched her televised funeral. Cause of Death The doctors at the hospital said that special X rays of her brain (CAT scans) showed two hemorrhages: a mild brain hemorrhage, and a second major brain hemorrhage. The doctors claimed that the first hemorrhage was a stroke that caused her to lose control of the car, and the second hemorrhage was caused by the accident that killed her. It took incredible sleuthing for the doctors to claim that she had a stroke before the accident. Rover engineers who inspected the car found nothing that could have caused the accident. French investigators decided that the accident was caused by Grace passing out and losing control of the car.

Rumors about the cause of her death persist today. Two weeks before she died, the newspapers revealed a list of members of the P2 Lodge, a group of people who were accused of stealing money from the Italian government, banks and even the Vatican. It included prominent leaders of the Italian government, and members of the Mafia. The chairman of the P2 Lodge was Prince Rainier, of Monaco. The Italian government collapsed soon afterwards and some of its leaders were sent to jail. Prince Rainier was quoted as saying: ``When the press makes up a story about the Mafia wanting to kill Grace, though I can`t for a moment see why the Mafia would want to kill her . . .” Princess Grace's Legacy Since her death the authors of many books and films have speculated that Princess Grace was very unhappy and lonesome. However, she did have the satisfaction of providing the heir that Prince Rainier III needed to perpetuate the principality of Monaco. Prince Albert succeeded his father, who died in 2005. He is highly regarded as a ruler, particularly for his advocacy of the environment and international sports.

Following the Olympic tradition of his medal-winning grandfather and uncle, Albert competed in many sports including rowing, swimming and cross country, and was on the bobsled team in every winter Olympics from Calgary to Salt Lake City. He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985. He married Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock in 2011 and they are expecting a child in 2014. November 12, 1929 - September 14, 1982 Death of a Princess - The Story of Grace Kelly's Fatal Car Crash Death of a Princess - The Story of Grace Kelly's Fatal Car Crash by Frank Wilkins Few princesses live happily ever after. And few fairy tales ever end up quite as imagined. This was surely the case with film actress Grace Kelly who would marry into European royalty before eventually meeting her untimely demise on a hilly Monaco roadside. Behind Grace’s regal façade was an imperfect (but never dull) reality that would eventually shatter the fairy tale-like existence the world thought they knew.

In fact, film director Alfred Hitchcock had seen glimpses of the beautiful Hollywood leading lady’s dark side, and once described her as a “snow-capped volcano – full of fire under the ice.“ Never Enough Born November 12, 1929 to Jack Kelly, a wealthy Philadelphia construction contractor (and former Olympic champion) and his wife Margaret, Grace Patricia Kelly was constantly forced to vie for her father’s attention amongst her three other siblings. Her father, a self-made man, exuded extreme confidence and never failed to dominate anyone around him… including his children. Even an eventual Oscar win, didn’t seem to garner her father’s attention. When asked the morning after his daughter’s Oscar win for her role in 1954’s THE COUNTRY GIRL, Jack Kelly reportedly replied, “I though it would be Peggy. Anything Grace could do, Peggy could always do better. 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.” Her Education As a teenager, Grace would attend a nearby convent school run by the Sisters of Assumption.

At the age of 14, the shy, young girl would then move on to Stevens Academy in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania where one of her instructors would recall, “she really wasn’t interested in scholastic achievement – she gave priority to drama and boys.” Apparently that was a very astute observation! To Europe and Then New York Foregoing college, young Grace would instead choose a trip to Europe and then enrollment in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her skeptical parents (who had to pull some strings for the prestigious school that counts Gene Tierney, Kate Hepburn, Spencer Tracy and Kirk Douglas amongst its alumni) agreed to only pay for one year’s tuition. To pay her own way, the industrious Grace found work fashion modeling and was even selected as cover girl for several publications. She lived at the Barbizon Hotel for Women on 63rd Street.

Oh, and by the way, she began to have an affair with a 27-year-old Academy instructor (which was disapproved of by her parents not because of the age difference, or because he was married… but rather because he was Jewish.) Grace Hits the Big Time Grace’s acting abilities began to gain notice as she performed in many TV and live performances, including her Broadway debut as Raymond Massey’s daughter in THE FATHER (1949). She would get a pretty big break in the early ‘50s when she took on the role of the Quaker wife to ex-marshal Gary Cooper in HIGH NOON in 1952. The movie (and Grace Kelly) became a hit. But so did Grace Kelly and Gary Cooper as an item. Not only was the Hollywood leading man 28 years her senior, he was also married. Though the flame only lasted a short while, a bold pattern of liaisons would begin to emerge. After returning to Broadway, Grace would continue her romance with actor Gene Lyons. She then moved on briefly to Clark Gable whom she met while filming MOGAMBO in 1953.

During the shooting of DIAL M FOR MURDER she dabbled in Ray Milland, and later, fashion designer Oleg Cassini, French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont, Bing Crosby and William Holden. See a pattern emerging? But for her on-camera skills in THE COUNTRY GIRL, Grace would win an Academy Award in 1955. Cannes and The Prince Grace Kelly attended the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955. Actress Olivia de Havilland’s fashion mag editor husband, Pierre Galante would eventually cobble together the meeting between Grace Kelly and the 31-year-old Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Facing middle age and a slight weight problem, the pudgy prince decided he needed a wife and heirs to his throne. Consequently, Grace Kelly had become tired of the Hollywood grind and of her MGM contract (poor thing!). After accepting a $2 million dowry from the Kelly’s, on January 5, 1956, the Prince would ask the beautiful actress to marry him. The couple was married four months later on April 18, 1956. The wedding was watched on television by an estimated 30 million people.

Grace Kelly was now Princess Grace of Monaco. The End of a Career Not only did her wedding mark the beginning of a life of luxuriant royalty, more importantly it was the end of her film and acting career. Grace would eventually give birth to three children: Caroline, Albert (future heir to the throne of Monaco), and Stephanie. Grace Kelly played the role of princess well for 25 years… at least on the outside. That flaming monster of love for some “strange” would rear its ugly head many times throughout the years however, and resulted in numerous extra-marital affairs, including a “thing” with such luminaries as David Niven and even Frank Sinatra. Not to be left out though, ‘ol Princy himself was rumored to have swung the club from time to time as well. Grace eventually began to miss her acting career and would try to revive it. She accepted the lead in Hitchcock’s MARNIE, but was eventually replaced by Tippi Hedron. In 1976 she joined the board of directors of Twentieth Century-Fox.

She wanted back in the movie game but the Rainier’s always said “Uh, no.” That Day in September On the morning of September 13, 1982, Princess Grace and her daughter Stephanie were to head back to Monaco from their vacation residence, Roc Agel. They loaded the Rover SD-1 (corrected as Rover P6 3500V8 *) with luggage and prepared for the 35-minute drive back to town. The car was so packed full of belongings, Princess Grace suggested to the chauffeur that she would drive them by herself… bad decision! At 9:30 in the morning, with Stephanie in the passenger seat and Princess Grace behind the wheel, the car would set out down a narrow, treacherous and windy road, CD37 ( Route de La Tourbie ). Contrary to popular belief, this was not the same road on which she drove in her 1955 movie, TO CATCH A THIEF. How ironic would that have been? Anyway, ten minutes into the drive things would go horribly awry. A motorist driving behind the Princess’s vehicle would report seeing the Rover swerving erratically back and forth.

The concerned observer would honk several times to get the attention of what he assumed to be a drunk or sleepy driver. As Princess Grace’s car approached a hairpin curve in the road known as "Devil’s Curse,” it suddenly accelerated to well over 50 m.p.h. The car crashed through the stone barrier before careening down the 120-foot hillside, clipping the tops of the trees as it lurched its way down the slope. A local gardener heard the accident and upon reaching the scene, noticed the wrecked vehicle had struck a tree near the bottom of the hill and rested near a pile of rocks. The good Samaritan observed that Stephanie had extricated herself from the car and was yelling to help get her mother out of the vehicle. “Help, my mother! My mother is in there! Get her out!” The unconscious Grace was removed by smashing the vehicle’s rear window. Princess Grace and Stephanie were taken to a local hospital in Monaco for treatment for their injuries. Reports say that Monaco Hospital (later renamed Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace - Princess Grace Hospital Center), where the injured survivors were taken, was not well equipped for these types of injuries.

Surgery was performed on Grace’s lungs to stop the internal bleeding. Her other injuries included multiple fractures of the collar bone, thigh, and ribs. A CAT scan revealed that shortly before the accident, Grace had suffered a stroke which rendered her unable to control the vehicle. Fearing that the princess may survive as a helpless invalid, the royal palace attempted a cover up of the extent of her injuries. But at 10:30 p.m. on September 14, 1982, Princess Grace was taken off her life-support equipment and she passed on to the next plane. She was 52-years-old. In State The body of Princess Grace would lay in state in her open coffin until September 18, when a funeral was conducted in the same cathedral where she was married 26 years earlier. On September 21, Princess Grace of Monaco was laid to rest in the Grimaldi family vault in St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Her marble slab is inscribed with the words, “Grace Patricia, wife of Prince Rainier III, died the year of our Lord, 1982.” The car was crushed into a small cube, taken out to sea and allowed to sink to the bottom of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. UPDATE: *Thanks to Morbidly Hollywood© friend Davie B., we've updated the story to reflect that Princess Grace was indeed driving a Rover P6, not an SD-1 as was originally reported. UPDATE: Morbidly Hollywood friend Bill S. gave us the following information - I just somehow linked to your site, and read the Princess Grace death story Having been involved in various tasks watching over national events, I wanted to add something. She deserves to have the main part of the history presented. What is left out is the main political scandal in Europe at that time. Two weeks prior to her death, a membership list of the infamous oligarchic P2 Lodge became public. The Italian government collapsed when many of the leaders names were discovered to be on it. It was known by intelligence groups to be a secret collection of nation destroying oligarchs, which spanned numerous countries.

The chairman of the P2 Lodge was her husband Prince Ranier, of Monaco. Princess Grace was a moral woman I think. Perhaps things she had ignored in the past suddenly seemed to have more weight. Perhaps she intended to do the moral thing. To get away from him for a start, not trusting the chauffeur of the prince, since he would naturally spy on her for the prince. More Grace Kelly Stuff: The hairpin curve, "Devil's Curse" where Grace Kelly plowed her car through the barrier and down the embankment. Aerial view of "Devil's Curse." Contrary to popular belief and counter to what would have made a much more juicy urban legend, Grace Kelly did not crash on the same bit of roadway as where she drove in the 1955 film To Catch a Thief. In fact, the two are actually several miles from each other. *Click map to enlarge The steep embankment below "Devil's Curse." Kelly's car would come to a halt at the bottom of the hill. Boulevard Princesse Grace De Monaco.

A Rover P6 3500 V8, probably very similar to the one Princess Grace was driving when she suffered a stroke and drove it off the hillside. Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1955). In the film, Grace was driving a stretch of road very close to the actual location of her eventual fatal accident. Princess Grace's coffin being carried into St. Nicholas Cathedral. Where Grace Kelly is buried. The Rainier Palace in Monaco. Sweet digs, huh? St. Nicholas Cathedral, where Grace Kelly was married and where she is buried. Wedding ceremony of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, of Monaco. The Rainier Royal Family. (l-r Caroline, Prince Rainier, Grace, Albert, and Stephanie. Imagine the thoughts rambling behind those pregnant smiles! Grace Kelly with James Stewart and Bob Hope. The Manhattan House at 200 East 66th Street. Grace Kelly Once Lived Here.

BBC ON THIS DAY | 14 | 1982: Hollywood princess dead About This Site | Text Only 1982: Hollywood princess dead Princess Grace of Monaco has died of the injuries she sustained in a car crash near Monte Carlo yesterday. The Hollywood actress Grace Kelly - who starred in the Alfred Hitchcock hits Dial M for Murder and Rear Window - suffered a brain haemorrhage. A statement issued by the royal palace said she died at 2130 GMT after her conditioned worsened throughout the morning and become irreversible by the afternoon. It also said the former film star's husband, Monaco's head of state Prince Rainier, and her three children were at her bedside when she died. The US-born princess' youngest daughter Stephanie was in the car at the time of the accident, but suffered only light bruising. Brake failure The news of her death was unexpected as previous reports from the palace had indicated that despite broken ribs, leg and collarbone she was in a stable condition. The Monaco royal family also released an account of yesterday's accident and said the princess had lost control of the car when the brakes failed.

After leaving the road her 10-year-old Rover tumbled 100 ft (30.5 m) down a ravine, turning over several times before coming to rest in a garden. But a witness who was driving behind the two princesses said the car began zigzagging erratically some time before the crash happened. Two engineers from British Leyland are on their way to Monte Carlo to examine the wreckage. WHAT GRACE TOLD DIANA HOME | STOP PRESS | SUBSCRIPTIONS | BACKCOPIES | BOOKS | LAST WORD | ARCHIVE | DIANA LEGACY They were both blonde and beautiful, they both married into royalty, they both were younger than their husbands. What else did Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco and Diana, Princess of Wales have in common. J.

Randy Taraborellis book points out that both were chosen (in part) because they appeared to be capable of having children (and both having to be physically examined to ascertain the fact); both recieving little assistance about protocol from their royal in-laws; both devoted mothers; and both meeting untimely deaths in car accidents. Grace had been living in the goldfish bowl that was to become Dianas lot as well for twenty-five years when, in March 1981, she flew to London to give a poetry reading at Goldsmith Hall, an event at which the newly-engaged Prince Charles was to be guest of honour. For the occasion  her first public appearance with her husband-to-be after the engagement announcement  the nineteen year-old Diana chose a black, very décollté strapless evening gown. If shed turned up in an overcoat, the paparazzi would have been satisfied but the sight of Diana struggling out of the car in that dress sent them into a frenzy! Taraborelli reports that Princess Graces companion, Gwen Robyns, recalled: Her breasts were on display and she was quite a wreck.

And the panic was still evident at a reception afterwards at Buckingham Palace. It was then that Grace asked the young Diana if she would accompany her and Gwen Robyns to the ladies room for a chat. According to Gwen Robyns, while Diana was touching up her make-up standing in front of the mirror, she burst into tears. Taraborelli explains: The dress she was wearing was so revealing, she explained, because it was two sizes too small; the intended outfit had not arrived in time  an unnerving situation to occur for her first formal appearance. She also said she now realised more than ever how unbearable it would be to have so many people jostling for her attention, asking questions, not only of her but of anyone who knew her. She saw a life totally devoid of privacy. She was frightened. What could she do? She was certainly asking the right woman for advice. Grace had always known how to use her celebrity to her advantage whereas Diana seemed to shrivel under the spotlights glare.

No matter how troubled her private life, once the spotlight shone upon her, the former Grace Patricia Kelly transformed into Her Serene Highness  the greatest role of her life. Grace put her arms around the distraught Diana and patted her on the shoulder. She then cupped Dianas face in her hands. Dont worry, dear,  she said with a gentle smile. You see, itll only get worse. Diana next saw Grace when the Monaco Royals attended her wedding in St Pauls Cathedral in July the following year. She later told biographer Andrew Morton that she had found Grace to be wonderful and serene , , , but there was troubled water under her. Twenty years later, Diana was to find herself in Monaco for Graces funeral afer she had died in the aftermath of an accident in the car she was driving with daughter Stephanie as a passenger. Taraborellis book traces Graces life from adolesence, through film stardom to the Fairy Tale romance and marriage with Rainier.

He presents both the Kelly and Grimadli families  warts and all  and considers Rainier and Grace as man and wife, not just Prince and Princess. Grace is displayed in all her complexity  the daughter whose heartbreaking relationship with her father coloured her every decision; the down-to-earth young woman who accepted a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew and leapt into an unknown culture and destiny. The Grimaldis, including the children, are treated as flesh-and-blood human beings . . . and thats a change.

Question: How did Princess Grace of Monaco die in 1981?
Answer: A car crash