Grace Kelly, defying her elite background to become a 1950s film icon, gained fame in Hitchcock films and won an Oscar. Her marriage to Monaco’s Prince Rainier was marked by an unusual dowry. Her life, cut short by a car accident, adds complexity to her image as America’s screen queen.
She Paid $2 Million And Took A Fertility Test To Marry Prince Rainier


Marriage to Prince Rainier III of Monaco involved adhering to some eccentric and outdated traditions. In 1956, compliance with producing an heir was mandatory, leading Grace Kelly to undergo a fertility test. Additionally, she had to renounce her American citizenship.
Furthermore, a $2 million dowry was demanded from Kelly’s family. Initially resistant, Kelly’s father protested, stating, “My daughter doesn’t have to pay any man to marry her.” Eventually, she persuaded him, reportedly contributing half of the dowry herself, with assistance from Rainier’s friend Aristotle Onassis
A Family Of Olympians And Artists
The Kelly family boasted a notable blend of athletic and artistic accomplishments. Grace’s father, Jack Kelly, achieved success with three Olympic gold medals as part of the U.S. rowing team. Meanwhile, her mother took on the role of coaching women’s teams at the University of Pennsylvania.
The family’s cerebral and artistic talents extended further. Grace shared a close connection with her uncle George Kelly, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Another uncle, Walter C. Kelly, a vaudevillian performer, played a pivotal role in mentoring and encouraging his niece throughout her career.


She Wasn’t Considered Beautiful In Her Younger Years
Throughout her adult life, Grace Kelly was consistently recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful women. However, in her younger years, even after some modeling work, she wasn’t considered particularly attractive. According to an A&E biography, her family and friends, who never viewed her as movie star material, were astonished when they saw her on the big screen for the first time.
As one childhood friend recalled, “We had no idea she was as beautiful as she was. Grace always had a bandana on, glasses, and a 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?'”


She Rebelled Against Her Strict Parents


She Gave Up Acting For Her Husband, And Regretted It


She Had A Tumultuous Love Life


Her Father Thought Acting Was Barely Better Than Prostitution
Grace Kelly’s aspiration to become an actress faced strong disapproval from her father, who held conservative views about the “vulgarity” of the stage and screen. When she enrolled in New York’s Academy of Dramatic Arts, her father expressed extreme disapproval, asserting that being an actress was just “a cut above being a streetwalker.”
Even after Grace’s eventual success, her father, Jack Kelly, remained unconvinced. When she won an Oscar for “The Country Girl,” he reportedly expressed surprise, stating, “I thought it would be [eldest daughter] 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.”


She Loved Dirty Jokes
Contrary to her regal image, rumors suggest that Grace Kelly was not always composed behind closed doors. Louisette Levy-Soussan Azzoaglio, who served as her personal assistant, claimed that the princess had a playful and bawdy side. According to Azzoaglio, Kelly had a mischievous sense of humor, a glint of naughtiness in her eye, and a particular fondness for limericks, even the saucy ones. The actor David Niven, who shared her love for banter, would reportedly bring laughter to the palace during his visits.
Azzoaglio also revealed that at home, Kelly preferred a more casual look, often exchanging glamorous gowns for simple trousers.


She Almost Starred In On The Waterfront


She Was The Black Sheep Of Her Family
Despite her family’s athletic and social inclinations, Grace Kelly stood apart. Unlike her extroverted and athletic parents and siblings, Kelly, as biographer Gwen Robyns notes, did not fit the mold. Her father, determined that all his children would have athletic bodies, viewed Kelly as the “runt of the litter” due to her sniveling, asthma, and slender legs. Robyns describes Kelly as “introspective and timid,” finding solace in a world of make-believe.
However, behind her apparent timidity, Kelly harbored a determined and driven spirit. According to Robyns, early in life, she made a conscious decision to distance herself from her family’s expectations and forge a path that allowed her to live within herself.


She Was Supposed To Be Marnie
Even though the terms of her marriage to Prince Rainier had essentially concluded her film career, Alfred Hitchcock still extended an offer to Grace Kelly for the lead role in “Marnie,” a film depicting the story of a beautiful kleptomaniac with a troubled past. While Rainier had no objections to his wife taking the role, the citizens of Monaco opposed the idea of their princess playing a “compulsive thief.” Consequently, the role went to Tippi Hedren.
“Marnie” was not the only film Kelly had to decline. Hitchcock also had her in mind for the 1963 film “The Birds,” another opportunity that ultimately went to Tippi Hedren.


She Took Voice Lessons To Get Rid Of Her Philly Twang


Her Final Film Project Was Cut Short By Her Death


She Died In A Tragic Accident
On September 13, 1982, at the age of 52, Grace Kelly experienced a stroke while driving on the cliffside roads of Monaco. She went over a 120-foot mountainside with her 17-year-old daughter, Stephanie, beside her. Kelly sustained severe injuries, and the following day, Prince Rainier made the difficult decision to remove her from life support. Stephanie, though suffering comparatively minor injuries, made a full recovery.
Grace Kelly was laid to rest in the royal family crypt. Reports indicate that her car was crushed into a small cube and then submerged in the Mediterranean, symbolizing the tragic end to her life.


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