At the time of her passing in 1982, Grace Kelly was an American actress, princess, and fashion icon. Grace Kelly’s net worth was $40 million at the time of her death. The 1950s films “Mogambo,” “To Catch a Thief,” “Rear Window,” “High Society,” and “The Country Girl” are among those for which Grace Kelly is best remembered. The latter of these films won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She gave up acting when she was 26 in order to wed Prince Rainier III of Monaco, making her a princess. Before passing away in a car accident in 1982, Kelly performed a significant amount of charitable work in that capacity for children and the arts. Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie were the three children Grace and Rainier had together. By virtue of her marriage, Kelly was a member of the House of Grimaldi, but she also held dual citizenship with Monaco and the United States.
Grace Kelly Born: 12 November 1929
Grace Kelly Died: 14 September 1982
Grace Kelly Net Worth: $40 million
Grace Kelly Children: Stephanie, Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Grace Kelly Grandchildren: Charlotte Casiraghi, Andrea Casiraghi, more
Grace Kelly Husband: Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (m. 1956–1982)
Grace Kelly Early Life
Grace Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, into a wealthy Irish-Catholic family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Three-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, her father Jack also ran a prosperous brickwork contracting business. He worked for President Roosevelt as the National Director of Physical Fitness during World War II.
Margaret, Kelly’s mother, formerly taught physical education at the University of Pennsylvania. Kelly was raised in the Catholic faith in the small Saint Bridget’s parish along with her siblings John Jr, Margaret, and Elizabeth. She attended Stevens School and Ravenhill Academy as a child, where she participated in the drama and dance programmes.
Grace Kelly Career
Kelly attended an American Academy of Dramatic Arts audition in New York City in her late 40s. She ultimately gained admission thanks to her uncle George, a playwright and director who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Kelly later made her Broadway debut in a production of “The Father” by August Strindberg. She also did modelling work for the John Robert Powers agency, appearing in advertisements for bug spray and cigarettes. In the early 1950s, Kelly continued to appear in numerous plays, such as “The Mirror of Delusion,” “The Apple Tree,” and “Episode.” The first of nearly 60 live television programmes she appeared in throughout her career, she also starred in the live television adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis novel “Bethel Merriday.”
Grace Kelly Acting Career
In 1951, Kelly made her screen debut in a supporting role in Henry Hathaway’s “Fourteen Hours.” The following year, she played a more significant role in Fred Zinnemann’s Western “High Noon,” playing the Quaker bride of Marshal Will Kane, played by Gary Cooper. However, Kelly’s big break came in 1953 when she starred alongside Clark Gable and Ava Gardner in John Ford’s “Mogambo.” She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her work.
Kelly had her most productive year on the screen in 1954, appearing in five movies, following the success of “Mogambo.” She first appeared in the suspenseful films “Rear Window” and “Dial M for Murder” by Alfred Hitchcock. Then Kelly starred in “The Country Girl,” a production of Clifford Odets’ play of the same name. She received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Bing Crosby’s character’s patient wife, Georgia Elgin. Kelly’s roles in the war drama “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” and the adventure drama “Green Fire” brought an end to 1954. She worked with Alfred Hitchcock again the following year to co-star with Cary Grant in “To Catch a Thief.”
Grace Kelly Princess of Monaco
Kelly left the acting business in 1956 to wed Prince Rainier III of Monaco, whom she had first met at a personal photo shoot the year before. She consequently was made Princess of Monaco. Early in 1957, the couple gave birth to Princess Caroline, a daughter. The eldest child, Princess Stéphanie, was born in early 1965. Prince Albert was born the following year.
In her role as Princess of Monaco, Kelly heavily invested in charitable work. She held the positions of president of the Red Cross of Monaco and patron of the orphanage Rainbow Coalition Children. Kelly served as the Garden Club of Monaco’s president as well. She also established the nonprofit AMADE Mondiale, which works internationally to support children’s health and education. Kelly co-founded the Princess Grace Academy, the resident school of the Monte Carlo Ballet, among her other charitable endeavours while a princess.
Kelly returned to the world of cinema in 1977 to narrate the documentary “The Children of Theatre Street,” about the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, after declining a number of film roles that were offered to her. The movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Early in the 1980s, Kelly collaborated with the bed linen company Springmaid Company to introduce a collection of tablecloths, placemats, napkins, and linens.
Grace Kelly Death And Legacy
Kelly suffered a mild cerebral haemorrhage in late 1982 while travelling from her rural home back to Monaco. As a result, she lost control of her 1971 Rover P6 3500 and fell down a precipitous mountainside. Kelly was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
Kelly has left a significant legacy that spans the fields of theatre, film, television, fashion, and philanthropy. She is regarded as one of the most recognisable and opulent actors to have ever worked in Hollywood. She is also remembered for playing one of the iconic “Hitchcock blondes” in three of the director’s films. The Princess Grace Foundation was started by Kelly’s husband after she passed away. Kelly’s legacy of supporting the arts through grants, scholarships, fellowships, and awards is carried on by the Foundation. A rose garden in the Fontvieille neighbourhood of Monaco is devoted to Kelly.
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