LA COLLE, MONACO: The Hollywood star, who turned into a real-life princess, Grace of Monaco, well known as Grace Kelly, died at the age of 52 on September 14, 1982. She rose to fame in the film industry in the 1950s and became a global icon of flawlessness and glitz from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Grace Patricia Kelly, who was born in Philadelphia on November 12, 1929, had her acting debut at the age of 22 in the movie 'Fourteen Hours'.
During her lifetime, Grace won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 'The Country Girl' in 1955, just a year before her wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, after which she left acting to begin her duties as a princess.
She is best remembered for her roles in the Alfred Hitchcock classics 'Dial M for Murder', 'Rear Window', and 'To Catch a Thief'.
How did Grace Kelly die?
Grace Kelly was driving when a tragic car accident occurred on September 13, 1982, and the following day, on September 14, at the age of 52, she unfortunately died from a brain hemorrhage.
The Academy Award winner is said to have had a stroke while traveling back to Monaco with her daughter, Princess Stephanie, who was 17 at the time. Grace lost control of the vehicle and drove off a cliff, falling 100 feet into a ravine.
In a 2015 interview with the French outlet Point de Vue, Stephanie—who survived despite sustaining a concussion and a damaged vertebra—discussed the impact of her mother's death.
"After I got over my anger, got past the sense of injustice that was inside me, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I said, 'Wait! Logically, you should have died, too'," stated Stephanie, adding, "If I was kept alive, it was for a reason. You have a place in this world. You have to find it," as per PEOPLE Magazine.
Why did Grace Kelly retire from acting?
In 1956, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco and gave up acting to become Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco.
The two had their first encounter on May 6, 1955, while the actress was in Europe for the Cannes Film Festival.
Grace, who was admired for her sophisticated yet modest sense of style, devoted herself to philanthropy and cultural work as a royal figure. She had three children with Prince Rainier, Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie.
What caused Grace Kelly's car accident?
As per reports, Grace Kelly had a stroke while traveling back to Monaco with her daughter Princess Stephanie on September 13, 1982, and she drove off a steep mountain after losing control of the vehicle, falling 100 feet into a ravine.
The princess was taken to the hospital with injuries to her brain and thorax along with a fractured femur, but she died the next day after the former actress was taken off life support.
But there are still persistent speculations about Grace Kelly's death, especially regarding the car crash.
Why was Grace Kelly so important?
Grace Kelly was a significant person in both Hollywood and Monaco due to the enormous influence that her life and work have had on the world.
The real-life princess was regarded as an acclaimed performer and a legendary actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood, with many of her movies continuing to be considered classics in modern times.
Grace was reportedly placed thirteenth among the American Film Institute's list of the 25 Greatest Female Stars of Classical Hollywood Cinema. She even won three Golden Globe Awards, an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1954, and other accolades.
She gave up performing when she was 26, married Prince Rainier, and started serving as Princess of Monaco.
Young children and the arts were the emphasis of Princess Grace's charitable efforts. She founded the Princess Grace Foundation in 1964 to aid regional artisans.
Her children's rights organization, AMADE Mondiale, was reportedly granted consultative status by UNESCO and UNICEF.
Why is Grace Kelly an inspiration?
Grace Kelly's exceptional acting abilities, captivating personality, and breathtaking appearance made her a favorite subject of many brilliant film directors and Hollywood as a whole. Her iconic style is
According to noted American critic David Thomson, "Grace Kelly was enough to make Hollywood believe in itself," as per Macau Lifestyle.
Who were Grace Kelly's parents?
Grace Kelly was born to John B Kelly Sr and Margaret Katherine Majer on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Her father was a well-known individual who made a fortune with a bricklaying firm in Philadelphia and won a gold medal for sculling in the 1920 Olympics, as per Daily Mail.
Grace's mother, Margaret, was of German descent and was reportedly the first woman to coach women's athletics at Penn and had taught physical education there. In her younger years, she also briefly worked as a model.
Grace Kelly had a harsh childhood
In the 1950s, Grace Kelly, a patrician blonde from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered Hollywood as a struggling performer and projected greater elegance and glitz at the time.
The book, 'Grace Kelly: Hollywood Dream Girl', by Jay Jorgensen and Manoah Bowman, published by Dey Street, an imprint of William Morrow publishers, revealed how her magnetic personality and expertise concealed a difficult childhood with a physically abusive mother, an arrogant anti-Semitic father, and a sister who regularly beat her up, as per Daily Mail.
As per the book, although her father spent much of his time away from home working on his business, playing golf, and getting involved in politics, "he never attained the 'Main Line' status of the old-money Philadelphia families, because he had worked as a laborer."
Grace reportedly said that when the youngest, Elizabeth aka "Lizanne," was born, she disliked no longer being the family's baby and the center of attention.
Lizanne acknowledged pushing her older sister aside in order to become the preferred daughter. "I used to beat her up - yes, I really did! I was the brat sister who made her life miserable, especially if she was with her boyfriends," stated the younger sister.
Grace looked up to her father, yet getting his approval was incredibly difficult. So, she apparently resorted to her mother for love and attention after he focused all of his attention on her older sister Peggy, and ignored her.
Margaret, however, supported traditional punishments, as Lizanne reportedly admitted, "Today, Ma Kelly would be arrested for child abuse because she did not spare the rod. And she did not spoil the child. She demanded obedience."
The actress allegedly thought her father's relentlessly promoted competitive mentality was evil. "We were always competing for everything – competing for love," recalled Grace once.
Grace Kelly's childhood desire for acting
Though she reportedly wasn't attractive as a young girl, Grace Kelly wanted to pursue acting. She was apparently a little overweight, had spectacles, felt self-conscious about her modest bust, and spoke with a "thin, nasal voice from years of sinus problems."
She gained confidence via acting in school productions, and by the time she was 16, the people at the exclusive Stevens School she attended started to pay notice.
"She always had a lot of boyfriends," remembered her friend Jane Hughes, adding, "I didn't feel she was wild. She was just attractive and she was kind of a star...I don't think she ever missed any of the dances or was without a date on the weekends."
Her perseverance and fortitude in spite of difficulty are evidence of her powerful personality as Grace Kelly went on to become a legendary actress and, eventually, the Princess of Monaco, despite the difficulties she encountered during her childhood and early career.