WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.680 So today we're we're diving into a life that 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:05.500 well, it reads like the ultimate fairy tale. 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:07.580 It really does. A script that was just flipped 00:00:07.580 --> 00:00:09.820 so dramatically from the harsh lights of the 00:00:09.820 --> 00:00:15.179 Hollywood Dream Factory to the exacting ancient 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:18.320 grandeur of European royalty. We are, of course, 00:00:18.320 --> 00:00:21.280 talking about Grace Patricia Kelly, the American 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.690 actress who became the serene and I think. very 00:00:24.690 --> 00:00:27.129 disciplined princess of Monaco. Exactly. And 00:00:27.129 --> 00:00:29.410 when you look at her timeline, what's truly astonishing 00:00:29.410 --> 00:00:31.510 isn't just the transformation itself, but the 00:00:31.510 --> 00:00:33.950 sheer speed of it. The speed is unbelievable. 00:00:34.590 --> 00:00:37.049 You have this young woman who, in the early 1950s, 00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:39.950 just explodes onto the global stage. I mean, 00:00:39.969 --> 00:00:42.710 she achieves massive, undeniable stardom. Right. 00:00:43.049 --> 00:00:45.509 wins an epitome award for best actress sweeps 00:00:45.509 --> 00:00:47.909 the golden globes she cements herself so deeply 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:49.810 into cinematic history that the american film 00:00:49.810 --> 00:00:52.310 institute later ranked her 13th among the greatest 00:00:52.310 --> 00:00:56.969 female stars and then at just 26 years old poof 00:00:57.390 --> 00:00:59.729 Gone. She simply walked away from it all. She 00:00:59.729 --> 00:01:01.810 did. She basically pressed the self -destruct 00:01:01.810 --> 00:01:03.909 button on her entire Hollywood career. To marry 00:01:03.909 --> 00:01:06.510 Prince Rainier III, yeah. And take on this completely 00:01:06.510 --> 00:01:09.290 new role, one she kept until her tragic death 00:01:09.290 --> 00:01:12.569 in 1982. I mean, can you even think of a comparable 00:01:12.569 --> 00:01:15.709 career pivot today? It's just... It's impossible. 00:01:15.969 --> 00:01:18.510 It's unthinkable. So our mission for you, the 00:01:18.510 --> 00:01:22.290 learner, is to really extract the essential and 00:01:22.290 --> 00:01:25.069 often contradictory knowledge about this figure. 00:01:25.189 --> 00:01:27.030 Right, because she was both of these things at 00:01:27.030 --> 00:01:29.150 once. She was the image of this perfect, almost 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:32.069 icy poise in Hollywood. And then a passionate, 00:01:32.189 --> 00:01:35.530 dedicated royal consort in Monaco. You have to 00:01:35.530 --> 00:01:37.489 hold these two images in your mind simultaneously 00:01:37.489 --> 00:01:41.689 to explore the dichotomy of that life. Absolutely. 00:01:41.709 --> 00:01:44.569 The tension between her glamorous film persona 00:01:44.569 --> 00:01:47.129 and the immense discipline required for both 00:01:47.129 --> 00:01:49.390 high level acting and royalty is what defines 00:01:49.390 --> 00:01:51.750 her. It really is. So we're going to trace this 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:54.530 fascinating journey that begins not in Hollywood, 00:01:54.549 --> 00:01:57.689 but in the affluent. very strictly Catholic social 00:01:57.689 --> 00:01:59.930 scene of Philadelphia. Then we'll follow her 00:01:59.930 --> 00:02:01.989 through the rigorous, competitive entertainment 00:02:01.989 --> 00:02:04.730 industry of New York. All the way up to the demanding, 00:02:04.810 --> 00:02:07.049 politically nuanced role of Princess Grace of 00:02:07.049 --> 00:02:09.909 Monaco. We'll examine her surprisingly short 00:02:09.909 --> 00:02:12.949 film career lasting barely seven years, if you 00:02:12.949 --> 00:02:15.819 can believe it. And then the enduring impact 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:18.860 of her philanthropic work, her revolutionary 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:21.919 style. And of course, the foundations that still 00:02:21.919 --> 00:02:24.500 carry her name today. So to understand the serene, 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:27.620 composed star that we all know, we have to first 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:29.840 understand the foundation she came from. Because 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.680 Grace Kelly was the product of a wildly ambitious, 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:37.240 highly competitive and tremendously influential 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:40.030 Philadelphia family. This is so critical. We 00:02:40.030 --> 00:02:43.069 begin on November 12th, 1929, at the Hahnemann 00:02:43.069 --> 00:02:45.250 University Hospital in Philadelphia. And you 00:02:45.250 --> 00:02:46.550 had to get this out of your head right away. 00:02:46.789 --> 00:02:49.250 This was not a story of a struggling actress 00:02:49.250 --> 00:02:51.189 from the wrong side of the tracks. Not at all. 00:02:51.310 --> 00:02:53.129 The Kelly family wasn't just wealthy. They were 00:02:53.129 --> 00:02:56.030 a powerhouse, a prominent Catholic household 00:02:56.030 --> 00:02:59.110 defined by incredible, almost relentless achievement. 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:01.530 particularly among the men of the family. Let's 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:03.770 talk about the patriarch, John B. Kelly Sr. I 00:03:03.770 --> 00:03:07.189 mean, this guy was a figure of just mythic ambition. 00:03:07.370 --> 00:03:09.930 Truly. He was the son of Irish immigrants who 00:03:09.930 --> 00:03:12.469 just clawed his way up building this hugely successful 00:03:12.469 --> 00:03:15.689 East Coast brickwork contracting company. That's 00:03:15.689 --> 00:03:18.710 what made the Kelly family fortune. And he believed 00:03:18.710 --> 00:03:22.740 completely in self -made success. maybe more 00:03:22.740 --> 00:03:25.659 importantly, physical mastery. He really did. 00:03:25.939 --> 00:03:28.639 And he proved that mastery in the most public 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:32.520 way possible, through sport. He won three Olympic 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.759 gold medals for sculling. Three of them. For 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:38.240 sculling, which is that intense, high -endurance, 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:41.280 single -person racing form of rowing. Exactly. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.520 So for him, that defines success. Sheer physical 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.219 and material dominance. This was a man who expected 00:03:47.219 --> 00:03:49.139 greatness and saw the world through the lens 00:03:49.139 --> 00:03:51.520 of competition. And that ambition didn't just 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:53.780 stay on the water or in business, did it? No 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:56.159 way. He plunged right into politics. He ran for 00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.800 mayor of Philadelphia in 1935 as the Democratic 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:02.000 Party nominee. And he lost, but... by the closest 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:04.259 margin in the city's history. Right. Which just 00:04:04.259 --> 00:04:06.919 reinforced his status as this major public figure. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.159 He also served on the Fairmount Park Commission 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.560 and was appointed by President Roosevelt as the 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:13.319 national director of physical fitness during 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:15.800 World War Two. So he's constantly in public life, 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:18.079 constantly demanding perfection from himself 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.439 and everyone around him. But while he was focused 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.509 on brick and brown. The artistic gene pool on 00:04:23.509 --> 00:04:26.370 the Kelly side was equally rich. That's a great 00:04:26.370 --> 00:04:29.350 point. Grace had two uncles who were already 00:04:29.350 --> 00:04:32.449 deeply established in the performing arts. Walter 00:04:32.449 --> 00:04:35.009 C. Kelly was a popular vaudeville star, made 00:04:35.009 --> 00:04:39.009 films for MGM and Paramount. And even more significantly, 00:04:39.290 --> 00:04:42.350 her uncle George Kelly. The Pulitzer Prize winner. 00:04:42.589 --> 00:04:45.610 The Pulitzer Prize winning dramatist, screenwriter, 00:04:45.689 --> 00:04:47.930 and director. This is a crucial point for you 00:04:47.930 --> 00:04:50.829 to remember. Grace had legitimate, successful, 00:04:51.170 --> 00:04:54.329 artistic role models right there in her immediate 00:04:54.329 --> 00:04:57.029 family circle, even though her own father... 00:04:57.160 --> 00:04:59.860 kind of dismissed the profession. Yes, and the 00:04:59.860 --> 00:05:02.160 physical environment itself reflected this success. 00:05:02.439 --> 00:05:05.579 The family home, which John B. Kelly Sr. built 00:05:05.579 --> 00:05:08.959 himself in East Falls at 3901 Henry Ave., was 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:11.220 this massive testament to their upward mobility. 00:05:11.579 --> 00:05:13.899 But the narrative becomes genuinely complex and 00:05:13.899 --> 00:05:15.819 I think internationally relevant when we look 00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:18.560 at the maternal side, the major lineage. This 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:20.839 is where we uncover a deep dive fact that connects 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:23.100 Grace Kelly to European history long before she 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:25.480 ever met Prince Rainier. Her mother, Margaret 00:05:25.480 --> 00:05:28.019 Major, was of German ancestry, and she was highly 00:05:28.019 --> 00:05:30.079 accomplished herself. She taught physical education 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:32.040 at the University of Pennsylvania. The first 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:34.259 woman to coach women's athletics there, right? 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:37.300 That's right. And she even modeled briefly. But 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:39.939 when researchers traced her patrilineal line, 00:05:40.139 --> 00:05:43.360 her father's line, they found something remarkable. 00:05:43.779 --> 00:05:45.899 It wasn't just working -class German ancestry. 00:05:46.199 --> 00:05:48.660 She was linked to Professor Johann Christian 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:51.839 von Major, an 18th -century political scientist 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:54.949 and theologian. And through him... a line of 00:05:54.949 --> 00:05:57.829 descent from several minor German noble families. 00:05:57.970 --> 00:06:01.110 And here's the fact that truly jumps out. Through 00:06:01.110 --> 00:06:03.449 that maternal lineage, Grace Kelly was descended 00:06:03.449 --> 00:06:05.870 from the Stauffenberg family. Yes, the very same 00:06:05.870 --> 00:06:09.370 family best known for Klaus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg. 00:06:09.550 --> 00:06:12.310 The German army officer who spearheaded the dramatic 00:06:12.310 --> 00:06:15.810 plot to assassinate Hitler in 1944. It is absolutely 00:06:15.810 --> 00:06:17.910 incredible. It adds an entirely new dimension 00:06:17.910 --> 00:06:19.930 to her story. It suggests that this American 00:06:19.930 --> 00:06:22.129 actress wasn't just marrying into aristocracy. 00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:25.689 She was, in a way, reclaiming a forgotten or, 00:06:25.769 --> 00:06:28.769 you know, dormant European heritage. It absolutely 00:06:28.769 --> 00:06:31.170 provided an invaluable... context. So you have 00:06:31.170 --> 00:06:34.189 to wonder, did this lineage help her transition? 00:06:34.430 --> 00:06:37.829 Did it provide a crucial ancient legitimacy to 00:06:37.829 --> 00:06:40.790 the Grimaldis and other European royals who might 00:06:40.790 --> 00:06:42.730 have otherwise viewed her as a mere Hollywood 00:06:42.730 --> 00:06:45.689 interloper? I think it must have. While the Kelly 00:06:45.689 --> 00:06:48.029 name was purely New World money and achievement, 00:06:48.389 --> 00:06:51.370 the major Stauffenberg lineage offered a stamp 00:06:51.370 --> 00:06:54.740 of old world historical destiny. It meant that 00:06:54.740 --> 00:06:57.500 despite the newness of her fame, she carried 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:00.360 connections to minor German nobility in her bloodline. 00:07:00.569 --> 00:07:03.149 Decades before she ever arrived in Monaco. Exactly. 00:07:03.449 --> 00:07:06.009 This probably made her acceptance by the ancient 00:07:06.009 --> 00:07:09.250 European families, who value lineage so highly, 00:07:09.389 --> 00:07:11.250 much smoother than it might have been otherwise. 00:07:11.589 --> 00:07:13.750 So she grows up in this environment that's strict, 00:07:13.930 --> 00:07:16.170 profoundly Catholic, raised in St. Bridget's 00:07:16.170 --> 00:07:18.930 Parish, attending Ravenhill Academy, and it demanded 00:07:18.930 --> 00:07:22.350 excellence. Yet, despite this powerhouse pedigree, 00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:24.930 Grace's initial path toward the stage met with 00:07:24.930 --> 00:07:27.490 strong, immediate resistance. Especially from 00:07:27.490 --> 00:07:29.709 her competitive father. Right. She participated 00:07:29.709 --> 00:07:32.339 - in drama and dance at the Stevens School and 00:07:32.339 --> 00:07:35.079 she loved it so much that she listed Ingrid Bergman 00:07:35.079 --> 00:07:37.560 as her favorite actress in her yearbook. But 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:40.860 academics almost stopped her cold. She was rejected 00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:45.139 by Bennington College in July 1947. Why? Due 00:07:45.139 --> 00:07:48.180 to low mathematics scores. That rejection, ironically, 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:50.519 may have been the best thing that ever happened 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:52.480 to her career. It might have been because it 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:55.959 left only one path open. But her father's disapproval 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:00.360 was this constant cloud. John B. Kelly Sr. viewed 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:03.560 acting as, and this is a quote, a slim cut above 00:08:03.560 --> 00:08:06.759 Streetwalker. Wow. Imagine the friction in that 00:08:06.759 --> 00:08:10.160 house, the Olympian, the brickwork mogul father 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:12.759 watching his daughter pursue what he considered 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:15.759 such a disreputable, flimsy career. Especially 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.199 when the family already had such tangible material 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:20.980 success. She was determined, though. She signed 00:08:20.980 --> 00:08:23.420 with the Walter Thornton Model Agency in 1947, 00:08:23.899 --> 00:08:26.160 taking those initial professional steps before 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.439 making the decisive move to New York City to 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:30.660 formally pursue acting training. And that brings 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:33.649 us to her rigorous ascent. from the gritty realities 00:08:33.649 --> 00:08:36.409 of the New York stage to her eventual Hollywood 00:08:36.409 --> 00:08:38.690 breakthrough. Her seriousness about the craft, 00:08:38.970 --> 00:08:40.850 especially given her father's doubts, really 00:08:40.850 --> 00:08:42.929 can't be overstated. She was intent on proving 00:08:42.929 --> 00:08:45.269 herself. She auditioned for the highly selective 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:48.429 American Academy of Dramatic Arts, using a scene 00:08:48.429 --> 00:08:50.850 from her successful Uncle George Kelly's play, 00:08:51.070 --> 00:08:54.450 The Torchbearers. And even though the semester 00:08:54.450 --> 00:08:57.250 quota was already met, her Uncle George's influence 00:08:57.250 --> 00:08:59.350 was clearly leveraged to get her an interview 00:08:59.350 --> 00:09:02.440 and, ultimately, admission. He would remain a 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:05.440 vital mentor to her, advising her on technique 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:08.470 and career choices. But she definitely didn't 00:09:08.470 --> 00:09:11.470 coast on family connections. Oh, no. The sources 00:09:11.470 --> 00:09:13.730 make it clear she worked diligently. She was 00:09:13.730 --> 00:09:15.769 even practicing her speech using a tape recorder, 00:09:16.049 --> 00:09:18.750 trying to hone her delivery and diction. So she 00:09:18.750 --> 00:09:21.610 was living this immediate dual life. On one hand, 00:09:21.649 --> 00:09:23.970 high society expectations, and on the other, 00:09:24.090 --> 00:09:27.110 this grinding reality. At her father's insistence, 00:09:27.190 --> 00:09:29.509 and this was likely driven by his concern for 00:09:29.509 --> 00:09:32.169 reputation and propriety, she lived at the strictly 00:09:32.169 --> 00:09:34.929 supervised Barbizon Hotel for women in Manhattan. 00:09:35.250 --> 00:09:37.639 But to pay the bills. keep herself afloat in 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:40.080 the most expensive city in the world. She was 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:42.799 modeling for the John Robert Powers Agency. And 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.919 this is the part of the story that just shatters 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:47.500 the image of the sheltered, pristine debutante. 00:09:47.769 --> 00:09:50.049 She was hustling in a way that would have shocked 00:09:50.049 --> 00:09:52.690 her Philadelphia peers. Taking survival jobs, 00:09:53.110 --> 00:09:55.710 doing commercials for, what was it, bug spray 00:09:55.710 --> 00:09:58.210 and cigarettes. It's so hard to picture the future 00:09:58.210 --> 00:10:01.309 princess, the icon of elegance, selling Raid 00:10:01.309 --> 00:10:03.909 or Lucky Strikes. But that was the reality of 00:10:03.909 --> 00:10:06.149 the New York hustle. And speaking of shattering 00:10:06.149 --> 00:10:08.970 the image, there's that incredible anecdote about 00:10:08.970 --> 00:10:11.940 her time at the Barbizon. Oh, right. Reportedly 00:10:11.940 --> 00:10:15.000 shocking fellow, much quieter residence by dancing 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:17.100 topless to Hawaiian music down the hallways. 00:10:17.259 --> 00:10:19.480 That one anecdote gives us a glimpse of a much 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:22.639 freer, more bohemian side to the girl in white 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.360 gloves than we usually acknowledge. I mean, was 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.860 that a necessary moment of rebellion against 00:10:27.860 --> 00:10:31.220 her strict upbringing or just youthful indiscretion 00:10:31.220 --> 00:10:33.340 in a setting where she was finally free from 00:10:33.340 --> 00:10:35.799 her father's watchful eye? Either way, it shows 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.460 she had a wild streak that was very quickly disciplined 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:41.330 once she reached Hollywood. Her career was building 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:44.149 amidst this duality. Her Broadway debut came 00:10:44.149 --> 00:10:46.610 in Strindberg's The Father alongside Raymond 00:10:46.610 --> 00:10:49.409 Massey. And perhaps more tellingly, her graduation 00:10:49.409 --> 00:10:52.509 performance from Adia was a major role as Tracy 00:10:52.509 --> 00:10:54.950 Lord in The Philadelphia Story. A character she 00:10:54.950 --> 00:10:57.149 would revisit years later in her final film. 00:10:57.309 --> 00:11:00.049 She also became a prolific staple of the nascent 00:11:00.049 --> 00:11:02.789 television world, which was just hungry for new 00:11:02.789 --> 00:11:06.470 talent. She appeared in nearly 60 live TV programs. 00:11:06.669 --> 00:11:10.370 60. Starting with Delbert Mann's adaptation of 00:11:10.370 --> 00:11:14.049 Bethel Meridae. Her TV and stage presence led 00:11:14.049 --> 00:11:16.990 Theatre World magazine to name her a most promising 00:11:16.990 --> 00:11:20.190 personality of the Broadway stage of 1950. However, 00:11:20.389 --> 00:11:22.370 the deep dive also notes a potential limitation 00:11:22.370 --> 00:11:25.190 that helped push her toward film. What was that? 00:11:25.389 --> 00:11:27.570 She was thought to lack the vocal horsepower 00:11:27.570 --> 00:11:30.690 necessary for a lengthy commanding stage career. 00:11:30.909 --> 00:11:34.070 Ah. Okay. That realization, coupled with her 00:11:34.070 --> 00:11:36.490 growing on -screen presence, made the pivot to 00:11:36.490 --> 00:11:39.230 cinema essential for her meteoric success. The 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:41.529 film opportunity started small but quickly grew. 00:11:41.710 --> 00:11:43.970 Her debut was a minor role in the 20th century 00:11:43.970 --> 00:11:47.909 Fox film 14 Hours in 1951. And an anecdote from 00:11:47.909 --> 00:11:50.690 her co -star Paul Douglas immediately cemented 00:11:50.690 --> 00:11:54.549 her future persona. He noted that, quote, In 00:11:54.549 --> 00:11:57.759 two senses, she did not have a bad side. You 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:00.179 could film her from any angle, and she was one 00:12:00.179 --> 00:12:02.500 of the most untemperamental, cooperative people 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:05.320 in the business. That film debut generated immediate 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:07.639 public interest. It led to the establishment 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.379 of the Grace Kelly Fan Club, if you can believe 00:12:10.379 --> 00:12:12.840 it. Even though critics largely overlooked her 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:15.740 performance. Right. She continued in TV and theater 00:12:15.740 --> 00:12:19.440 until 1952, when she secured her first major 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.820 film role, one that put her opposite a massive 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:26.149 star. That was High Noon. With Gary Cooper. This 00:12:26.149 --> 00:12:28.529 was a challenging, uncomfortable shoot filmed 00:12:28.529 --> 00:12:31.169 in just 28 days in the late summer and early 00:12:31.169 --> 00:12:34.250 fall heat of Columbia, California. She played 00:12:34.250 --> 00:12:36.850 Amy Fowler Kane, the Marshall's young Quaker 00:12:36.850 --> 00:12:39.629 bride. Critically, this role was a mixed bag, 00:12:39.649 --> 00:12:42.309 both for her and for the critics. Biographers 00:12:42.309 --> 00:12:44.529 noted that her acting here didn't excite the 00:12:44.529 --> 00:12:46.889 critics or live up to her own expectations. Even 00:12:46.889 --> 00:12:49.190 Alfred Hitchcock, who would become her champion, 00:12:49.470 --> 00:12:52.049 later described her performances rather mousy. 00:12:52.149 --> 00:12:55.360 He claimed she only really blossomed later. He 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:57.259 was likely referring to a lack of confidence 00:12:57.259 --> 00:13:00.460 or perhaps just the inexperience of acting in 00:13:00.460 --> 00:13:03.899 cinema versus the live stage. The camera demands 00:13:03.899 --> 00:13:06.759 a different kind of intensity. And some critics 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:09.120 had issues with the character itself. The moral 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.080 ambiguity of her pacifist Quaker character saving 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.340 her husband by killing a man at the climax. It 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:18.220 seemed to some unnervingly cold and abstract. 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:21.100 But the exposure was enormous and it led directly 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:23.659 to the critical moment. Director John Ford. Yes. 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:26.299 John Ford noticed her during a screen test for 00:13:26.299 --> 00:13:29.539 a different project, Taxi. Ford was immediately 00:13:29.539 --> 00:13:32.059 impressed, noting she showed breeding, quality, 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.340 and class. And that single observation led directly 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:37.559 to her getting a seven -year contract with MGM. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.899 And here is where we get into the business acumen 00:13:39.899 --> 00:13:42.360 of Grace Kelly, which is so often overshadowed 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:44.639 by her elegance. Okay. The initial MGM contract 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.559 was actually for a relatively low salary, $850 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:50.419 a week. Which today is what, like $10 ,000? Only 00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:53.429 about $10 ,065, yeah. But she demonstrated real 00:13:53.429 --> 00:13:55.570 leverage and control right from the start. She 00:13:55.570 --> 00:13:57.690 was not going to be easily molded by the studio 00:13:57.690 --> 00:14:00.710 machine. She insisted on two key conditions, 00:14:00.970 --> 00:14:03.649 which shows her asserting her power immediately. 00:14:04.110 --> 00:14:07.289 First, she demanded time off one year out of 00:14:07.289 --> 00:14:09.970 every two for theater work, which tells you she 00:14:09.970 --> 00:14:12.799 hadn't abandoned her stage ambitions. And second, 00:14:13.080 --> 00:14:15.500 she insisted on being allowed to live in New 00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:18.779 York City at her Manhattan house residence rather 00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:20.940 than moving permanently to Hollywood. That is 00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:23.320 such a fascinating move. Most starlets signing 00:14:23.320 --> 00:14:25.500 with a major studio would accept whatever terms 00:14:25.500 --> 00:14:27.980 were dictated. But Kelly was establishing control 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:30.840 over her life and her creative pursuits. And 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.279 this assertiveness quickly led to the film that 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.960 truly launched her into the major leagues, Mogambo, 00:14:36.080 --> 00:14:39.440 in 1953. She had to replace Gene Tierney at the 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.820 last minute and travel to Nairobi for the three 00:14:41.820 --> 00:14:43.779 -month production. And when she was asked about 00:14:43.779 --> 00:14:46.360 the appeal of this massive endeavor in Africa, 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:49.919 Kelly's response was famously pragmatic. Utterly 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.379 lacking in any high -minded artistic pretense. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.559 She said Mogambo had three things that interested 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:58.000 me. John Ford, Clark Gable, and a trip to Africa 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:00.679 with expenses paid. An efficient assessment of 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:03.720 professional opportunity. She played Linda Nordley, 00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:06.559 the contemplative English wife. The film was 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:09.240 a massive box office success. And she won a Golden 00:15:09.240 --> 00:15:11.620 Globe for Best Supporting Actress, securing her 00:15:11.620 --> 00:15:14.539 first Academy Award nomination. The momentum 00:15:14.539 --> 00:15:17.320 was just unstoppable after that. Which leads 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:20.179 us right into the intense, brief peak of her 00:15:20.179 --> 00:15:24.120 stardom between 1954 and 1956. The crucial relationship 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:27.159 that defined these final, highly compressed years 00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:29.559 of her acting career was with Alfred Hitchcock. 00:15:29.700 --> 00:15:32.000 Of course. MGM loaned her out multiple times 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.240 to work with him, solidifying her status as the 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:37.820 quintessential Hitchcock blonde. He became an 00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:40.559 essential mentor and effectively built her image. 00:15:41.070 --> 00:15:42.870 He understood what she projected better than 00:15:42.870 --> 00:15:45.370 anyone. She wasn't the overtly passionate or 00:15:45.370 --> 00:15:48.169 sexual bombshell that Hollywood often demanded. 00:15:48.289 --> 00:15:50.549 No, she was the cool, reserved facade behind 00:15:50.549 --> 00:15:53.529 which intense passion or even danger lurked. 00:15:53.690 --> 00:15:55.909 Their first collaboration was Dial M for Murder 00:15:55.909 --> 00:15:59.549 in 1954. She played the wealthy wife of a retired 00:15:59.549 --> 00:16:02.490 tennis player caught in a murder plot. And Hitchcock 00:16:02.490 --> 00:16:04.350 used the coolness of her demeanor perfectly. 00:16:04.750 --> 00:16:07.029 But it was the second film that year, Rear Window, 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:09.789 that truly defined her elegance and complexity. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.820 It created the template for the sophisticated 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:15.600 American woman. In Rear Window, she played Lisa 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:18.039 Fremont, the wealthy Manhattan socialite and 00:16:18.039 --> 00:16:21.340 fashion model. This role was transformative for 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:24.100 her career because it marked her first performance 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:27.460 as an independent career woman, a character with 00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:30.220 her own ambition and agency. Not just a demure 00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:33.669 bride or distressed wife. Exactly. And Hitchcock 00:16:33.669 --> 00:16:36.429 used her elegance masterfully, turning her into 00:16:36.429 --> 00:16:39.409 a walking display of high fashion. He emphasized 00:16:39.409 --> 00:16:42.250 her style through these slow sequence silhouettes 00:16:42.250 --> 00:16:44.750 and dramatically changing her glamorous outsets 00:16:44.750 --> 00:16:47.570 multiple times. Showcasing everything from evening 00:16:47.570 --> 00:16:50.149 dresses to jeans, all designed to highlight her 00:16:50.149 --> 00:16:53.190 versatility and critically her unattainable glamour. 00:16:53.230 --> 00:16:56.029 And this elegance resonated deeply. The critic 00:16:56.029 --> 00:16:58.710 from Variety praised the unexpected earthy quality 00:16:58.710 --> 00:17:00.909 of her relationship with co -star James Stewart. 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:03.200 Proving that she could convey complexity and 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.079 warmth beyond that cool, composed exterior, it 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.579 was a massive smash hit that cemented her as 00:17:08.579 --> 00:17:11.380 a truly global star. The Hitchcock trifecta concluded 00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:15.160 with To Catch a Thief in 1955. Filmed gloriously 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:18.400 on the French Riviera. Which, in hindsight, dramatically 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:21.509 anticipated her future life in Monaco. Here, 00:17:21.609 --> 00:17:24.849 she played a temptress in luxurious and alluring 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:27.309 clothes. This film was also pivotal because it 00:17:27.309 --> 00:17:29.789 established her deep and lasting bond with co 00:17:29.789 --> 00:17:32.869 -star Cary Grant. Grant famously adored her. 00:17:33.029 --> 00:17:36.049 He called her his favorite actress for her essential 00:17:36.049 --> 00:17:39.559 quality of serenity. She projected a calm, disciplined 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:42.059 presence that deeply resonated with her colleagues, 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.900 especially those who had navigated decades of 00:17:44.900 --> 00:17:48.240 Hollywood turmoil. But 1954 wasn't just defined 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:51.240 by Hitchcock's smooth glamour. It was the year 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:53.299 of her greatest critical triumph, and it was 00:17:53.299 --> 00:17:56.039 one that required her to actively fight the studio 00:17:56.039 --> 00:17:58.680 system to get the part. She insisted on playing 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.799 Georgie Elgin, the dowdy, long -suffering wife 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:04.339 of an alcoholic singer, played by Bing Crosby 00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:06.819 in The Country Girl. This demonstrates her assertiveness 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:09.160 again, pushing back against the very image the 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.000 studio had cultivated for her. MGM did not want 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:14.539 to loan their reigning glamour queen to Paramount 00:18:14.539 --> 00:18:17.059 for this deeply unglamorous role. So what did 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:19.940 she do? She threatened the studio. She said she 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:22.319 would quit Hollywood entirely and return to New 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:24.579 York if they refused. That threat was genuine, 00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:28.599 and it worked. MGM relented, and in the process, 00:18:28.660 --> 00:18:31.539 she secured a new much more lucrative contract. 00:18:31.819 --> 00:18:34.039 The risk paid off completely. She won the Academy 00:18:34.039 --> 00:18:37.000 Award for Best Actress for the role. An upset 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:40.160 victory over the heavy favorite, Judy Garland 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:42.759 for A Star is Born. Right, and the controversy 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:45.539 surrounding that win is still debated. Garland 00:18:45.539 --> 00:18:47.940 was immensely popular and had given a career 00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:50.180 -defining performance. But Kelly's disciplined 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:52.859 portrayal of a woman ravaged by emotional stress 00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:56.960 was just undeniably powerful. And her acceptance 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:00.000 speech, famously, was brief. Just expressing 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.019 thanks from the heart, staying true to her composed 00:19:02.019 --> 00:19:04.980 nature. And it wasn't just the Oscar. She swept 00:19:04.980 --> 00:19:07.220 the major critical awards that year, winning 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:09.559 the New York Film Critics Circle Award and the 00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:11.500 National Board of Review for her composite work 00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:14.480 in Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, and The Country 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.579 Girl. She was unequivocally at the apex of her 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:18.599 career, all achieved within about five years 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:20.400 of getting her first speaking role in a film. 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:22.819 That level of intensity and productivity is just 00:19:22.819 --> 00:19:26.799 staggering. In 1954 alone, she had four major 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.339 films released. The three we mentioned, plus 00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:31.880 the war film The Bridges at Tokori with William 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.940 Holden, she also endured the notoriously unpleasant 00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:38.480 location shoot for Greenfire in Columbia, which 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:41.200 she personally described as awful. She just didn't 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.160 slow down until she reached the final stop. Her 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:46.039 final film roles in 1956 essentially bookended 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:48.720 her career with themes of royalty and luxury. 00:19:49.019 --> 00:19:51.960 She played Princess Alexandra in The Swan opposite 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:54.859 Alec Guinness. A performance that uncannily foreshadowed 00:19:54.859 --> 00:19:57.400 her real -life title change. And then the finale, 00:19:57.700 --> 00:20:00.859 High Society, a musical remake of the Philadelphia 00:20:00.859 --> 00:20:03.779 story, bringing her full circle back to the material 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:06.500 she performed at her acting graduation. She played 00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:08.900 Tracy Lord, opposite Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:12.240 Variety called it possibly her most relaxed performance, 00:20:12.539 --> 00:20:14.880 as if she knew her real -life curtain call was 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:17.140 imminent. She simply finished the work and walked 00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:19.559 away. The retirement was abrupt, yes, but the 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:21.680 path toward it was already being laid out in 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:23.980 her personal life. The royal transformation happened 00:20:23.980 --> 00:20:26.349 almost immediately. The genesis of the marriage 00:20:26.349 --> 00:20:28.190 came through her role as the head of the U .S. 00:20:28.190 --> 00:20:30.569 delegation at the Cannes Film Festival in April 00:20:30.569 --> 00:20:35.049 1955. She was invited to nearby Monaco and met 00:20:35.049 --> 00:20:39.269 Prince Rainier III on May 6, 1955. For what was 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:41.589 intended to be a simple photo session at the 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:44.130 prince's palace. Their courtship was not a tempestuous 00:20:44.130 --> 00:20:46.950 sudden romance. It was described as containing 00:20:46.950 --> 00:20:50.009 a good deal of rational appraisal on both sides. 00:20:50.230 --> 00:20:52.789 Which suggests a thoughtful, calculated decision 00:20:52.789 --> 00:20:55.779 rather than a whirlwind of passion. But it was 00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:57.880 certainly fast. It culminated in their marriage 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:00.799 less than a year later, on April 19th, 1956. 00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.359 And the wedding itself was a global sensation, 00:21:03.660 --> 00:21:06.400 an event that instantly redefined media coverage. 00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:09.440 It was described by one biographer as the first 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:12.670 modern event to generate media overkill. An estimated 00:21:12.670 --> 00:21:15.369 30 million viewers watched the religious ceremony 00:21:15.369 --> 00:21:18.710 on television. A remarkable feat for 1956. And 00:21:18.710 --> 00:21:20.930 the logistics were absolutely complex. They revealed 00:21:20.930 --> 00:21:22.990 the gravity of the transformation she was undergoing. 00:21:23.210 --> 00:21:25.490 Because of the Napoleonic Code governing Monaco's 00:21:25.490 --> 00:21:27.230 laws and the requirements of the Catholic Church, 00:21:27.390 --> 00:21:30.000 they needed two ceremonies. The civil ceremony 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.680 took place on April 18th in the palace throne 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.839 room. It lasted only 16 minutes. 16 minutes, 00:21:36.019 --> 00:21:39.880 during which her 132 official titles, the feminine 00:21:39.880 --> 00:21:41.960 counterparts to her husband's ancient titles, 00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:44.799 were formally recited. Think about that transition 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.279 for a moment. From the gritty reality of bug 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.680 spray commercials to acquiring 142 noble titles 00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:53.160 in less than half an hour. That is the sheer 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:56.200 weight of the life she chose. The religious ceremony 00:21:56.200 --> 00:21:58.220 followed the next day at St. Nicholas Cathedral. 00:21:58.829 --> 00:22:01.230 And of course, the wedding dress itself became 00:22:01.230 --> 00:22:04.069 an icon. A piece of costuming that rivaled any 00:22:04.069 --> 00:22:07.369 film design. MGM's Helen Rose created the elaborate 00:22:07.369 --> 00:22:10.190 gown, which required six weeks and three dozen 00:22:10.190 --> 00:22:12.869 dressmakers to complete. It was the centerpiece 00:22:12.869 --> 00:22:15.789 of a meticulously managed global fairy tale. 00:22:15.970 --> 00:22:17.930 Once married, the priorities shifted entirely. 00:22:18.289 --> 00:22:20.490 She immediately discontinued her acting career, 00:22:20.690 --> 00:22:22.809 which was a mandatory sacrifice for the crown. 00:22:22.990 --> 00:22:25.170 And she wholeheartedly embraced her new duties 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:27.390 as Princess of Monaco and the raising of their 00:22:27.390 --> 00:22:29.869 family. They had three children quickly. Princess 00:22:29.869 --> 00:22:32.829 Caroline, born in 1957, the heir, Prince Albert 00:22:32.829 --> 00:22:36.460 in 1958, and Princess Stephanie in 1965. And 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:38.680 notably, despite the political demands of her 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:42.039 new home, she retained her American ties, maintaining 00:22:42.039 --> 00:22:45.200 dual U .S. and Monegasque citizenship throughout 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:47.579 her life. Her commitment to her adopted home 00:22:47.579 --> 00:22:50.900 extended far beyond social appearances. Her primary 00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:53.779 focus immediately turned to philanthropy. She 00:22:53.779 --> 00:22:55.980 became the president of the Red Cross of Monaco, 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:58.759 using her massive international fame to generate 00:22:58.759 --> 00:23:01.740 unprecedented support. She was also a patron 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:04.410 of the Rainbow Coalition Children. an orphanage 00:23:04.410 --> 00:23:06.970 run by the legendary American performer Josephine 00:23:06.970 --> 00:23:09.250 Baker. Which is such a cool way of bridging her 00:23:09.250 --> 00:23:11.630 two worlds. But her most powerful and lasting 00:23:11.630 --> 00:23:14.589 humanitarian legacy is Amadeu Mondial, which 00:23:14.589 --> 00:23:18.089 she founded in 1963. This was founded after she 00:23:18.089 --> 00:23:19.670 witnessed the plight of Vietnamese children, 00:23:19.910 --> 00:23:22.529 showing the global scope of her ambition once 00:23:22.529 --> 00:23:24.430 she traded the Hollywood stage for the world 00:23:24.430 --> 00:23:27.099 stage. And this wasn't just a local royal charity. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:30.420 Amade Mondial is a U .N. recognized nonprofit 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:33.440 dedicated to promoting and protecting the moral 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.059 and physical integrity and spiritual well -being 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:38.619 of children throughout the world. It has consultative 00:23:38.619 --> 00:23:40.920 status with UNICEF and UNESCO and cooperative 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:43.720 branches spanning Europe. Asia, South America, 00:23:43.819 --> 00:23:46.619 and Africa. That is a global footprint, testament 00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:48.859 to her dedication and organizational skills. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:51.680 Beyond children's rights, she was instrumental 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:54.500 in boosting Monaco's cultural profile and economic 00:23:54.500 --> 00:23:56.660 standing. Let's not forget the political context 00:23:56.660 --> 00:23:59.559 here. Right. Rainier needed this marriage desperately. 00:24:00.269 --> 00:24:02.809 Monaco was under intense pressure from France 00:24:02.809 --> 00:24:05.930 regarding taxation and sovereignty. Grace Kelly's 00:24:05.930 --> 00:24:09.150 global fame provided an immediate, massive economic 00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:12.329 boost through tourism. And instantly legitimized 00:24:12.329 --> 00:24:15.049 the tiny principality on the world stage. She 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:17.589 was a diplomatic asset whose star power was worth 00:24:17.589 --> 00:24:19.549 millions. And she definitely used that power 00:24:19.549 --> 00:24:22.069 strategically. She established the Princess Grace 00:24:22.069 --> 00:24:24.950 Foundation in 1964 to support local artisans 00:24:24.950 --> 00:24:28.130 and later became an advocate for preserving Monaco's 00:24:28.130 --> 00:24:31.519 historic Belle Épée. era architecture. She channeled 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:33.519 her American influence into the palace, hosting 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:36.279 a yearly American Week in Monaco, complete with 00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:38.599 baseball games and ice cream, and ensuring the 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:40.740 palace celebrated American Thanksgiving annually. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:43.420 There are also these fascinating details about 00:24:43.420 --> 00:24:46.519 her surprisingly modern health advocacy. Oh, 00:24:46.519 --> 00:24:49.579 yeah. She was a strong vocal advocate of breastfeeding. 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:52.279 She became an honorary member and speaker at 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.440 a 1971 La Leche League conference in Chicago. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:58.200 And she successfully breastfed all three of her 00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:00.339 children, which was a relatively modern stance 00:25:00.339 --> 00:25:02.920 for a royal at that time. However, this crown 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:07.069 came with a heavy, specific cost. The permanent 00:25:07.069 --> 00:25:09.849 suppression of her artistic ambitions. And this 00:25:09.849 --> 00:25:11.849 is arguably the most poignant what if in her 00:25:11.849 --> 00:25:14.230 entire life story. The great what if, of course, 00:25:14.309 --> 00:25:16.829 centers on Alfred Hitchcock. He offered her the 00:25:16.829 --> 00:25:19.250 lead in his psychological thriller Marnie in 00:25:19.250 --> 00:25:22.589 1962. She was reportedly eager to take the part 00:25:22.589 --> 00:25:24.990 and a temporary return to Hollywood would have 00:25:24.990 --> 00:25:27.740 electrified the film world. But the public outcry 00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:30.380 in Monaco was immediate and fierce. They were 00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:32.720 outraged at the prospect of their princess, their 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:35.859 perfect image of Monagasc royalty, playing a 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:38.259 sleptomaniac. And that forced her to reject the 00:25:38.259 --> 00:25:41.359 project. That decision likely changed the course 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:44.490 of her entire royal life. It solidified the image 00:25:44.490 --> 00:25:47.750 that royalty was fundamentally incompatible with 00:25:47.750 --> 00:25:50.309 the complex, emotionally challenging, and sometimes 00:25:50.309 --> 00:25:53.289 morally ambiguous roles she excelled at in Hollywood. 00:25:53.470 --> 00:25:56.029 It was a clear line drawn by the political demands 00:25:56.029 --> 00:25:59.170 of her adopted country. And it wasn't an isolated 00:25:59.170 --> 00:26:02.450 incident. Director Herbert Ross tried to cast 00:26:02.450 --> 00:26:05.650 her in his 1977 film The Turning Point. A major 00:26:05.650 --> 00:26:08.630 project. A huge project. But Prince Rainier dismissed 00:26:08.630 --> 00:26:11.289 the idea outright. The door to her first career 00:26:11.289 --> 00:26:13.490 was effectively slammed shut, leaving her to 00:26:13.490 --> 00:26:16.000 channel her creative energy elsewhere. She did 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:18.180 manage some limited returns to the arts through 00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:20.779 non -performing roles. She served on the board 00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:23.259 of the 20th Century Fox Film Corporation starting 00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:26.140 in 1976. Becoming one of its first female members. 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:28.380 She also lent her voice to narration, including 00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:30.299 the documentary The Children of Theater Street 00:26:30.299 --> 00:26:33.980 in 1977 and the TV film The Poppy is Also a Flower 00:26:33.980 --> 00:26:36.599 in 1966. And she channeled her visual artistic 00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:38.660 energies into other creative pursuits entirely. 00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:42.369 In 1980, she published My Book of Flowers. Right, 00:26:42.450 --> 00:26:45.269 detailing her floral aesthetics, the symbolism 00:26:45.269 --> 00:26:47.990 of flowers, and her impressive collage work. 00:26:48.230 --> 00:26:50.609 She was finding ways to express that creative 00:26:50.609 --> 00:26:53.289 discipline she had honed at ADA. And she even 00:26:53.289 --> 00:26:55.549 collaborated with Rainier on a 33 -minute independent 00:26:55.549 --> 00:26:59.230 film called Rearranged in 1979, an attempt to 00:26:59.230 --> 00:27:01.599 bridge the gap. But tragically, that film never 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:04.740 saw a wide public release. ABC TV executives 00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:07.859 were interested in extending it to an hour after 00:27:07.859 --> 00:27:11.460 its Monaco premieres in 1982. But her death interrupted 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:14.140 those plans. It's also worth noting her successful 00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:17.059 commercial collaboration in the early 1980s with 00:27:17.059 --> 00:27:19.680 the Spring Made Company, creating a luxury linen 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:23.519 brand titled GPK after her maiden name initials. 00:27:23.539 --> 00:27:25.700 This wasn't for personal profit, though. She 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:28.380 reportedly donated the over $1 million she earned 00:27:28.380 --> 00:27:30.740 in royalties directly to her foundations and 00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:32.619 charities. Proving her commitment to fundraising 00:27:32.619 --> 00:27:35.099 was paramount. And this brings us to the tragic 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:38.400 and deeply controversial final chapter, her sudden 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:41.000 death and the enduring legacy she left behind. 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:43.539 The fatal incident occurred on September 13, 00:27:43.980 --> 00:27:47.839 1982. She was driving back to Monaco from the 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:50.940 family country home in Rock Eagle. She was driving 00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:56.000 a 1972 Rover P6 3500 on that steep, winding mountain 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.500 road. The official sequence of events points 00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:01.279 to a medical emergency. She suffered a mild cerebral 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:03.720 hemorrhage while driving, which caused her to 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:06.220 lose control of the car. The rover plunged 100 00:28:06.220 --> 00:28:08.960 feet down the mountainside, an immediate catastrophe. 00:28:09.420 --> 00:28:11.559 Her youngest daughter, Princess Stephanie, was 00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:14.160 in the passenger seat. In a tragic and terrifying 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:17.480 detail, Stephanie reportedly tried unsuccessfully 00:28:17.480 --> 00:28:19.819 to regain control of the vehicle during the descent. 00:28:20.140 --> 00:28:22.519 Grace was rushed to Monaco Hospital, which would 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:24.279 later be renamed the Princess Grace Hospital 00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:26.309 Center. There was initial hope for recovery, 00:28:26.490 --> 00:28:28.690 but she suffered a second, more severe hemorrhage 00:28:28.690 --> 00:28:30.529 at the hospital and was declared brain dead. 00:28:30.789 --> 00:28:33.150 Prince Rainier made the agonizing decision to 00:28:33.150 --> 00:28:34.869 turn off life support. And she died the following 00:28:34.869 --> 00:28:37.710 night, September 14th, at the age of 52. The 00:28:37.710 --> 00:28:39.910 immediate aftermath was clouded by controversy. 00:28:40.329 --> 00:28:42.789 The palace press office initially issued a statement 00:28:42.789 --> 00:28:45.269 blaming the crash on brake failure, a seemingly 00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:48.299 definitive cause. However, police investigators 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:51.079 and rover engineers from Britain conducted a 00:28:51.079 --> 00:28:54.500 thorough inquiry and found absolutely no evidence 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:57.099 of brake malfunction. That forced the palace 00:28:57.099 --> 00:28:59.640 to publicly retract the claim. The subsequent 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:01.660 inquiry pointed to a combination of the medical 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:04.299 event plus a technical oversight on a treacherous 00:29:04.299 --> 00:29:06.740 road. Right. The engineers noted she had kept 00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:08.799 the car in standard drive mode while descending 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:11.000 the mountain rather than engaging the mountain 00:29:11.000 --> 00:29:14.240 safety gear installed by rover. This is a terrifying 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:17.019 and critical detail that needs explaining. So 00:29:17.019 --> 00:29:20.259 for you, the learner, in a car with this type 00:29:20.259 --> 00:29:23.140 of transmission, standard mode relies primarily 00:29:23.140 --> 00:29:25.900 on the brakes to govern speed, which can quickly 00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:28.380 overheat and fail on steep, prolonged descents. 00:29:28.859 --> 00:29:31.539 The mountain safety gear, however, uses engine 00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:33.940 compression to safely govern speed, protecting 00:29:33.940 --> 00:29:36.240 the brakes. So this suggests the tragedy was 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:38.859 a perfect storm, an unforeseen medical event 00:29:38.859 --> 00:29:41.079 combined with a technical procedure missed in 00:29:41.079 --> 00:29:43.059 a moment of crisis. Contradicting the initial 00:29:43.059 --> 00:29:45.380 claims of mechanical failure? Her funeral was 00:29:45.380 --> 00:29:48.299 held on September 18, 1982, at the Cathedral 00:29:48.299 --> 00:29:51.019 of Our Lady Immaculate. It was an event attended 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:53.900 by major figures from both her worlds. Cary Grant 00:29:53.900 --> 00:29:56.619 represented Hollywood, while Nancy Reagan and 00:29:56.619 --> 00:29:59.450 Diana... Princess of Wales, represented global 00:29:59.450 --> 00:30:01.769 political and royal circles. A heartbreaking 00:30:01.769 --> 00:30:03.910 absence, however, was her youngest daughter, 00:30:04.049 --> 00:30:07.089 Stephanie. She was unable to attend due to a 00:30:07.089 --> 00:30:09.250 light concussion and a hairline fracture of a 00:30:09.250 --> 00:30:11.809 cervical vertebra sustained in the crash. And 00:30:11.809 --> 00:30:15.450 Rainier, devastated by the loss, never remarried. 00:30:15.769 --> 00:30:17.789 He was buried alongside her in the Grimaldi family 00:30:17.789 --> 00:30:21.069 vault after his death in 2005. Despite the dramatic 00:30:21.069 --> 00:30:23.950 and tragic end, her legacy far outlived her seven 00:30:23.950 --> 00:30:26.269 years in Hollywood and her 26 years in Monaco. 00:30:26.430 --> 00:30:28.609 She remains cited as one of the most elegant 00:30:28.609 --> 00:30:30.930 women in history. The epitome of the classic 00:30:30.930 --> 00:30:34.470 Hitchcock blonde. Time magazine in 1955 famously 00:30:34.470 --> 00:30:37.069 hailed her as the girl in white gloves, noting 00:30:37.069 --> 00:30:39.170 that she represented a startling change from 00:30:39.170 --> 00:30:41.910 the run of smoky film sirens and bumptious cuties. 00:30:42.029 --> 00:30:44.369 She introduced a new ideal of beauty, the fresh 00:30:44.369 --> 00:30:46.950 -faced look. bright skin, natural beauty, and 00:30:46.950 --> 00:30:49.369 minimal makeup. It was a complete departure from 00:30:49.369 --> 00:30:51.529 the prevailing Marilyn Monroe or Ava Gardner 00:30:51.529 --> 00:30:54.329 mold. She redefined American sophistication. 00:30:54.430 --> 00:30:56.869 And the most enduring, tangible legacy of her 00:30:56.869 --> 00:30:59.190 style is a handbag that became synonymous with 00:30:59.190 --> 00:31:01.890 her name. The Kelly bag. While pregnant with 00:31:01.890 --> 00:31:05.049 Princess Caroline in 1956, she was photographed 00:31:05.049 --> 00:31:08.289 repeatedly using a distinctive Hermes Saca de 00:31:08.289 --> 00:31:11.140 Peche handbag. And the reason wasn't purely fashion. 00:31:11.259 --> 00:31:14.299 She was using it, quite pragmatically, to shield 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:16.700 her pregnant abdomen from the aggressive paparazzi 00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:19.180 who were constantly hounding her. The photographs 00:31:19.180 --> 00:31:21.960 instantly popularized the purse, and it was eventually 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:24.980 renamed the Kelly Bag. It's a perfect illustration 00:31:24.980 --> 00:31:28.859 of how her necessity and natural, unforced elegance 00:31:28.859 --> 00:31:31.599 became global fashion standards. It elevated 00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:33.960 a functional item into an unattainable symbol 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:36.559 of high style. She was rightly inaugurated into 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:38.579 the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame 00:31:38.579 --> 00:31:41.660 in 1960. Her legacy is actively preserved by 00:31:41.660 --> 00:31:44.009 the foundation she inspired. The Princess Grace 00:31:44.009 --> 00:31:46.369 Foundation USA was established by Rainier in 00:31:46.369 --> 00:31:49.589 1984 to continue her charitable work. Specifically 00:31:49.589 --> 00:31:52.250 supporting emerging American artists in film, 00:31:52.309 --> 00:31:54.970 theater, and dance, a direct continuation of 00:31:54.970 --> 00:31:57.450 the career she was forced to abandon. The PGF 00:31:57.450 --> 00:32:00.809 USA has awarded over $15 million and holds the 00:32:00.809 --> 00:32:03.009 exclusive rights and facilitates the licensing 00:32:03.009 --> 00:32:05.349 of her name and likeness globally, ensuring her 00:32:05.349 --> 00:32:08.190 brand remains controlled and utilized for philanthropic 00:32:08.190 --> 00:32:10.799 ends. And her daughter, Princess Caroline, took 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:14.119 over as president for both the PGF -USA and Amadei 00:32:14.119 --> 00:32:17.000 Mondial, ensuring continuity. Monaco continues 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:20.180 to honor her memory extensively. They established 00:32:20.180 --> 00:32:22.599 the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fonvale and 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:25.640 the Princess Grace Irish Library, which contains 00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:28.140 her personal collection of over 9 ,000 books. 00:32:28.539 --> 00:32:30.900 Reflecting her heritage and her love of literature, 00:32:31.720 --> 00:32:34.160 Avenue Princess Grace in Monaco is famously dubbed 00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:36.680 the most expensive street in the world. And in 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:38.839 a wonderfully symbolic gesture that brings her 00:32:38.839 --> 00:32:42.000 life story full circle, her son, Prince Albert 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:44.500 of Monaco, purchased her childhood home in East 00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:47.309 Falls, Philadelphia. The very home built by John 00:32:47.309 --> 00:32:50.170 B. Kelly, Sr., where Rainier proposed in 1955. 00:32:50.750 --> 00:32:53.329 That house, which your father saw as the unsuitable 00:32:53.329 --> 00:32:56.190 launchpad for a respectable woman, is now a historic 00:32:56.190 --> 00:32:59.029 monument owned by her royal son, potentially 00:32:59.029 --> 00:33:01.369 destined for museum space or foundation offices. 00:33:01.650 --> 00:33:03.789 The ultimate transformation is complete, connecting 00:33:03.789 --> 00:33:06.549 the brickwork mogul's dream back to the Grimaldi 00:33:06.549 --> 00:33:08.650 dynasty. So let's synthesize this remarkable 00:33:08.650 --> 00:33:11.750 dual career for you, the learner. She had a Hollywood 00:33:11.750 --> 00:33:14.589 run that lasted barely seven years, but was immensely 00:33:14.589 --> 00:33:17.309 impactful. An Oscar, three defining collaborations 00:33:17.309 --> 00:33:20.109 with Hitchcock and global cultural recognition. 00:33:20.470 --> 00:33:23.470 This was followed by 26 years dedicated entirely 00:33:23.470 --> 00:33:26.289 to her role as princess, focused on humanitarian 00:33:26.289 --> 00:33:29.509 work, the arts and raising her children, all 00:33:29.509 --> 00:33:31.509 while managing the political intricacies of a 00:33:31.509 --> 00:33:34.380 monarchy under pressure. She successfully navigated 00:33:34.380 --> 00:33:36.799 one of the most dramatic life changes imaginable. 00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:39.359 She managed the demands of high American celebrity 00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:41.960 with the ancient strict traditions of European 00:33:41.960 --> 00:33:44.559 royalty. She leveraged her fame to boost her 00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:47.119 adopted home economically and culturally, maintained 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.839 her American ties and left behind powerful, active 00:33:50.839 --> 00:33:53.000 foundations that continue her work globally. 00:33:53.180 --> 00:33:55.180 We've uncovered so many surprising details from 00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:57.619 her youthful rebellion and modeling for bug spray 00:33:57.619 --> 00:34:00.660 to ancient German noble connections via the Stauffenberg 00:34:00.660 --> 00:34:03.619 lineage and the. terrifying, nuanced technical 00:34:03.619 --> 00:34:06.759 cause of her tragic final accident. It forces 00:34:06.759 --> 00:34:09.159 you to look beyond the serene, white -gloved 00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:12.400 image and recognize the steely ambition and dedication 00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:15.039 beneath that perfect exterior. She was a woman 00:34:15.039 --> 00:34:18.239 who leveraged a screen test into an MGM contract 00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:21.320 and then leveraged that contract into an Oscar 00:34:21.320 --> 00:34:24.179 and a global dynasty, all while maintaining her 00:34:24.179 --> 00:34:26.619 own terms whenever possible. Which brings us 00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:29.360 back to our final provocative thought for you, 00:34:29.500 --> 00:34:32.219 the learner. The source material highlights the 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:34.840 tragic loss of potential roles due to the strictures 00:34:34.840 --> 00:34:37.760 of royalty, particularly the definitive rejection 00:34:37.760 --> 00:34:41.880 of Hitchcock's Marnie in 1962 based on that public 00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:44.579 outcry. Right, the outcry against their princess. 00:34:45.019 --> 00:34:47.599 playing a kleptomaniac. This raises a powerful 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:50.539 historical hypothetical. If she had been accepted 00:34:50.539 --> 00:34:53.079 into Marnie and the public outcry had been ignored, 00:34:53.340 --> 00:34:55.619 perhaps if Rainier had insisted the role was 00:34:55.619 --> 00:34:57.880 purely art and her duty was separate. How might 00:34:57.880 --> 00:34:59.920 that single decision have altered not just her 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:02.519 acting legacy, but the entire perception of Princess 00:35:02.519 --> 00:35:05.239 Grace in Monaco and the world? Would it have 00:35:05.239 --> 00:35:07.380 shown a more modern, permissive monarchy, or 00:35:07.380 --> 00:35:09.599 would it have irreparably damaged the fragile 00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:11.420 balance she maintained between the Hollywood 00:35:11.420 --> 00:35:13.880 myth and her royal duty? It is a fascinating 00:35:13.880 --> 00:35:18.219 question of duty versus artistic necessity. She 00:35:18.219 --> 00:35:20.500 remains fiercely contemporary decades later, 00:35:20.599 --> 00:35:22.619 precisely because of those foundations, that 00:35:22.619 --> 00:35:25.480 style, and that perfect, impossibly brief Hollywood 00:35:25.480 --> 00:35:27.780 career. Something for you to mull over until 00:35:27.780 --> 00:35:28.800 our next deep dive.