The story of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly's crisis of marriage and identity, during a political dispute between Monaco's Prince Rainier III and France's Charles De Gaulle, and a looming French invasion of Monaco in the early 1960s.
“Fairytales tell imaginary stories. Me, I’m a living person. I exist. If the story of my life as a real women were to be told one day, people would at last discover the real being that I am.”
For Grace Kelly, 1956 started with the news proliferation of her engagement to Prince Rainier III of Monaco – her happiness palpable in this video from January 1956. (these images of this 1956 film are taken in the same house that Prince Albert of Monaco in 2016 arranged to buy to continue to preserve the legacy of his mother, Grace Kelly)
On January 6th, just a few days after the worldwide announcement of her royal engagement, Grace Kelly the Golden Globe Award for “Best Actress – Motion Picture, Drama” and continued to capture the hearts of audiences with her style.
In Early 1956 Grace Kelly continued to grace the covers of magazines all over the world ..
As Grace Kelly transitions to the role of her lifetime, 1956 still holds several acting duties for her as one of the most sought-after actresses of the time. From January to March 1956, Grace Kelly was on set filming “High Society” with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. MGM released the film in July and “High Society” became one of the top 10 highest grossing films of 1956 in the USA and Canada.
On March 21, 1956, Grace Kelly returned to the Academy Awards at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Having won the Oscar for Best Actress in 1955, she now had the honor of presenting the Academy Award for Best Actor to Ernest Borgnine for the movie “Marty”. Backstage, one of the most widely circulated Oscar-related photographs captured the encounter of two Hollywood darlings, Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.
1956 would also see the release of “The Swan”, where Grace Kelly actually played the role of a Princess, starring opposite Alec Guinness and Louis Jourdan. The filming had taken place at the Vanderlbilt’s palatial Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. Grace Kelly already had a taste of life as a princess, when she also appeared in the 1950 television production of “The Swan”. MGM held the release of The Swan to correspond with the wedding day of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco, on April 18, 1956
Grace Kelly on Route to Monaco aboard the SS Constitution
Grace Kelly arriving at Monaco Palace
From Hollywood Royalty to Real Princess
So 1956 truly saw Grace Kelly playing a Princess as well as becoming a real-life Princess as the entire world focuses on the largest broadcasted wedding of the time. Still to this date, Grace Kelly’s wedding dress is iconic and referenced as one of the best and most emulated. The wedding to Prince Rainier was so hyped that MGM turned it into a full feature film – becoming technically Grace Kelly’s last movie, to fulfill her contract with MGM studio.
Grace Kelly – now Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco – entered the international arena … starting with a trip to Spain for their Honeymoon…
with trips to Paris, France in September 1956…
and even meeting at the White House with American President Eisenhower in October 1956…
The remainder of 1956 centered about Grace Kelly adapting to her new life as Princess Grace of Monaco – a role of a lifetime. Never mind the new language and the different culture… the transition also included the protocols of the palace and the acceptance of the people of Monaco who had their misconceptions regarding an actress turned princess. However, it did not take long for Monaco to become enamored of Grace Kelly, and the Marriage of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier would become a true fairytale come to life. Although there has been much speculation about their marriage over the years, the book “My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco“, written by one of their closest friends, is a true testament that they really did live Happily Ever After…
