Princess Grace's Life

     Young girls always dream of becoming one thing: a princess. For Grace Kelly, her life was a dream come true. Grace was born on November 12th, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York to become an actress. When she graduated in 1949, she worked as a model. She debuted on the stage in New York in the play "The Father" with Raymond Massey. Just four years after graduating college, she acted as George Elgin in The Country Girl with Bing Crosby, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1955, she traveled to Monaco to film "To Catch a Thief." At the Cannes Festival in 1955, she met Prince Rainier, the unmarried ruler of Monaco. He needed to have a heir, or Monaco would be ruled by France and the people would have to pay French taxes.^[1]The Prince and Grace then spent Christmas with her family in America. On January 5th, 1956, the two announced their engagement. Only three months later, they were married on April 18th at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Monaco. This national celebration lasted for two days. From this event, Grace earned the title of Princess. Princess Grace and Princess Rainier had three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie. Princess Grace wanted to raise her children as normally as possible, so she cooked and took personal care of the children. Unfortunately, on September 14th, 1982, the Princess was driving around a bend in Rivera with her daughter, Princess Stephanie, when she had a stroke and drove off a cliff. Though her daughter survived, Princess Grace had fatal injuries, and died almost immediately. She was deeply mourned by her family and both of her country. The United States and Monaco even made stamps to honor her. ^[2]Her funeral was held in the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, where she was married almost 20 years ago, and was broadcasted worldwide. As an idol for many, she was very important to the 1900's. 

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    Princess Grace looking out her balcony on Monaco.

Significance

     Princess Grace was significant in many ways. Firstly, she was important to her country. The people of Monaco had loved her for kindness and generosity. She was the president of the Red Cross of Monaco, the Gardening Club of Monaco, and the committee that founded the International Arts Foundation.^[4] She also was on the board of 20th Century Fox Productions and earned the Ceres Medal from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for public service.^[5] There is a foundation that she established called the Princess Grace Foundation.^[6] The Princess Grace Foundation gives scholarships for the creative arts an encourages young adults to act, sing, and dance. She also made a difference in the American acting. She starred in 11 movies and 60 television shows in her life. According to Premiere Magazine, she was the 12th best actress of all time.^[7] The Princess Grace Foundation that was originally based in Monaco spread out to America, and has helped many aspiring actors to get on their feet. Lastly, she changed the way people think about royalty. Before 1956, royalty was given to you by birth. Queens, Kings, Princes, and Princesses were all born into royalty, and never had civilian lives. Then Grace Kelly, the American actress, becomes a princess, only something that would happen in dreams. The way that she tried to raise her children normally showcased her family's relationship to each other and their values, which some royal families don't get a chance to. She was able to show the world that her family was just as kind and caring as regular people are. Her impact on the world will never be forgotten.

The last interview of Princess Grace before her startling death.