Harvey Weinstein was conspicuously absent from the Cannes premiere of “Grace of Monaco” due to a prior commitment.
According to an exclusive article in Variety today, Harvey Weinstein was not able to attend the premiere of Grace of Monaco because he and his wife are in Jordan visiting Syrian refugee camps “to bring attention plight of refugees who have been forced to flee Syria and the incredible work of UNHCR.”
Princess Grace herself would have honored Weinstein for shining the spotlight on the needs of refugees, which was a cause close to her own heart. Princess Grace was very concerned with helping refugees in any way she could, and each year, a gala was held in Monaco on the day of the Three Kings (Fete des Rois) as a benefit for refugees:
From Page 144 of “My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco”
“January 6 was the Fête des Rois, or festival of the Three Wise Men, which was celebrated with a gala to benefit refugees from all over the world who were now living in France. We were again seated at Grace and Rainier’s table. This gala was held at the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo, under the patronage of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, High Commissioner for Refugees at the United Nations and also an Executive Secretary for UNESCO.
The program for the gala had a cover designed by artist Jean Cocteau, and a touching foreword written in French by Princess Grace, roughly translated: “In this world that is said to be well organized, that there are still hundreds of thousands of refugees in camps, aging and awaiting the end of their existence, seems inconceivable, inhuman and unjust! And yet this exists, and we must wake up in order to act and remedy it. In 1949, the United Nations created the High Commission for Refugees. It made it possible to give all these unfortunates status and protection. But this is not enough, because while we live happy and free… others, men, women, children, live without a country, without a home, without work, thus without hope! …250,000 refugees live in France, several thousand of them are handicapped. They need to be helped. They need us to help them find work and a future. All of the profits from this event will be devoted to this simple yet essential gesture of aid to one’s fellow man.” She signed it simply in her bold handwriting: Grace de Monaco.
Grace knew what it was like to work for a living, as she had insisted on making it on her own in New York without the help of her family. She was not a socialite who approached charity as a pastime, but wholeheartedly cared for others and tried to help as many people as possible in any way she could.
In 1963, Princess Grace’s love of children inspired her to found AMADE (Association Mondiale des Amis de l’Enfance), which operates today in association with UNICEF, UNESCO and the United Nations Economic and Social Council. AMADE helps children worldwide by defending their essential rights and bringing access to healthcare, as well as promoting self-sufficiency for communities in developing nations, by focusing on education and vocational training.
Through various galas and events, Princess Grace was always trying to think of ways to raise money for charity. In this milieu of people who had everything, the offerings had to be exceptional. For the gala event to benefit refugees, there was a charitable auction for which the jeweler Mauboussin donated exquisite jewelry. Princess Grace herself offered a beautiful piece of jewelry in gold with rubies and emeralds, which raised 12,500 francs at auction. There was also a charity raffle of a lovely ivory statue, and a gold and silver compact from Cartier. I was thrilled that Martin won the compact, which was simple and elegant. There were three hundred attendees that evening, raising money to better the conditions of the refugees.”
The new book, “My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco” offers an eyewitness account of what really happened in the events loosely depicted in the film, and is also the behind-the-scenes story of what Princess Grace’s life and relationships were really like from the first years of her marriage to the last days of her life. The preview of the book is available exclusively through www.PrincessGraceofMonaco.com while the movie is in theatres worldwide. “The original script for Grace of Monaco does a disservice to the memory of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, perpetuating myths and untruths about them.
Source
