Princess Grace was the embodiment of a real life fairy tale, marrying a handsome prince, and living happily ever after. Since her tragic death, many books have been written speculating on her relationships and happiness, but these authors never really knew her. Now there is a refreshing new book that finally gives true insight into Princess Grace’s life and marriage, written by one of her closest friends. “My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco: Our 25-Year Friendship, Beyond Grace Kelly” by Joan Dale is an intimate eyewitness account of the real Princess Grace, offering a rare insider’s view of what her day-to-day life was like behind palace walls.
The book is divided into four parts, beginning with “The Early Days” in which Joan Dale and her husband, Martin, were U.S. diplomats stationed in the South of France. It was the year after Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier in the “Wedding of the Century”, and Joan describes her first meeting with Princess Grace and Prince Rainier after many months of anticipation and “near misses”. Joan and Grace were both Americans, they were one year apart in age, and were both new mothers living in a foreign country, so they became fast friends. During this period, the Dales were invited to parties and picnics with Grace and Rainier in Monaco, in Paris, and at their private residences.
The second part of the book was the most exciting as these were “The Monaco Days” when the Dales lived in an apartment owned by Prince Rainier that was near the Palace, while Joan’s husband, Martin, was the Prince’s closest advisor. Between countless balls and galas, and functions at the Palace frequented by royals as well as Hollywood royalty, the Dales also spent month-long vacations with Grace and Rainier. The Dale children were the first playmates of the young Prince Albert and Princess Caroline, and the Dales became the closest friends and confidantes to the Grimaldi family, at times being seemingly inseparable. This period was also fraught with conflict as Prince Rainier had to stand up to two of the most powerful men in recent history: General Charles de Gaulle, who was then President of France, and Aristotle Onassis, one of the wealthiest men in the world. This book gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of what really happened during the historic events that have been fictionalized in the Nicole Kidman movie “Grace of Monaco“, and the real story as recounted in book is far more dramatic and intriguing than the film!
The third part, “The Corresponding Days”, follows Grace and Joan’s lifelong friendship as they meet in various places in the world and share the details of their lives through correspondence. There are excerpts from dozens of letters from both Princess Grace and Prince Rainier to the Dales, recounting their endless duties and concerns as sovereigns, as well as their love for their children as they grow and evolve. There are wonderful accounts of many visits to each other’s homes, including the authors’ stay as guests at the princely retreat of Rocagel, their private ranch above Monaco.
The final part of the book, “The Last Days” is perhaps the most poignant, as Joan Dale gives a detailed description of Princess Grace’s last family vacation on a 3-week cruise to the Arctic the month before she died. Joan was invited to be part of an intimate group of eight, consisting of Grace and Rainier, Albert and Caroline, Prince Rainier’s cousin and his Aide, as well as one of Grace’s original bridesmaids. Joan kept a daily diary of her trip, which gives a very rare and touching account of what Princess Grace’s life, marriage and family were like during her last days.
“My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco” gives unprecedented access that actually lets you experience what it is like to be best friends with a princess. We may think that royals are surrounded by illustrious people all the time, but this book helps us to really understand what it is like for a royal family, or in this case, a princely family, to live in the spotlight, and how rare it is for them to have close loyal friends whom they can trust and confide in. This bond of sisterhood was forged between Princess Grace and Joan Dale through shared pregnancies and tragic miscarriages, through raising children together and supporting each other through times of joy and sorrow – it was a true friendship that lasted for the rest of Princess Grace’s life… and beyond.
One of the things that makes this book unique is that it is filled with letters that Joan wrote to her parents, giving a detailed account of the events of the day as they were happening, which provides a fresh and immediate perspective. It also includes many letters from Grace and Rainier that give real insight into their true characters in their own words. The lost art of letter-writing adds a personal charm and innocence to this story, while also giving it authenticity and sincerity.
What makes this book a truly intimate account is that it was never meant to be published – the co-author’s note at the end of the book explains that Joan and her daughter, Grace Dale (Princess Grace’s goddaughter), actually compiled and recorded Joan’s memoirs for future generations of their own family. Joan remained loyal to her friendship with Grace and Rainier until the end, choosing never to publish this very personal memoir in her lifetime. According to the authors’ website at http://www.PrincessGraceofMonaco.com it is because of that same loyalty that her daughter, Grace Dale, decided to publish the book now in order to defend the memory of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier in the face of their highly criticized portrayals in the 2014 film “Grace of Monaco”.
Few royal biographies are written by people in the inner circle, and the authors are very aware of maintaining the sacred trust of friendship and loyalty – while this book is very revealing and insightful regarding what life as a present-day prince and princess is really like, it is not a “tell-all” expose. I admire the author for that, when so many of the books about Princess Grace seem to be filled with rumors, innuendos and sensationalism just to sell books, this book makes no apologies for wanting to honor the memory, legacy and reputation of this great lady. The book contains many stories and anecdotes that have never been revealed before, as well as information that is not found in other books. The only thing lacking in this book is information about Grace Kelly’s life as an actress – there are a few mentions of this part of her life and her upbringing, but the author makes it clear that she did not know Grace then, and would only recount what she had personally witnessed and experienced. I admire the author’s integrity in telling her own story of her own unique experiences with Princess Grace without dwelling on biographical information that is covered in other books.
This is actually more of a remarkable autobiography of a friendship with a beloved princess, rather than being just another biography of Princess Grace or Grace Kelly. Many royal biographies are written by researchers who study their subjects from a distance in order for the reader to know more about them, but the reader never gets to really know the person because the writer never did. This beautiful book is like looking at a family album, filled with 70 personal photographs of life with the Grimaldi family over 25 years of close friendship. The photos alone are worth buying the book, including rare pictures of Princess Grace in a bathing suit, and adorable photos of Princess Caroline and Prince Albert as children. The book gives a sense of a loving family trying to live as ordinary a life as possible under extraordinary circumstances. If you want to look ahead at what Princess Charlene may be up to in the coming years, this book presents accounts of Princess Grace’s first years with her husband and children inside the Palace of Monaco.
Joan Dale & Princess Grace with chidren at Palace of Monaco Balcony
“My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco” is also filled with wonderful descriptions of the lavish decor and world-class entertainment at the fantastic galas and charity balls that Princess Grace organized in Monaco, along with the beautiful people wearing gorgeous gowns and jewels, with mouth-watering lists of the sumptuous food that was served. Reading this book made me feel like I was there, transported to a more gracious time of true opulence and elegance! What is most magical is that this regal lifestyle was still taking place in our modern era…
It has made it on 3 Amazon Best Seller Lists and most reviews are 5 stars – many say that this is the book they have been yearning for that tells the real story of Princess Grace, beyond all the gossip. This true story would have made a far better movie than the fictional “Grace of Monaco”.
