Grace Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Jack Kelly, an Irish-American who made millions in the construction industry, and Margaret Kelly, a former athlete and photographer’s model. While studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York City, she began modeling and had an affair with her drama teacher, which her parents promptly forbade. In July 1949, Kelly made her professional acting debut at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where she appeared in a revival of her uncle George Kelly's comedy Torch Bearers.

Kelly’s elegant blond beauty made her an instant Hollywood sensation when she was cast in the film Fourteen Hours, and she soon landed many more major role including High Noon, Mugambo, and Dial M for Murder. She so impressed director Alfred Hitchcock in Dial M for Murder, that he immediately cast her in Rear Window (1954) and in To Catch a Thief (1955).Grace’s acting career was short, prolific, and successful. She made five films in 1954, and won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Country Girl. In the tough and unglamorous role as the wife of a drunken former actor, played by Bing Crosby, Kelly donned dowdy clothes, dulled down her beauty, and proceeded to stun audiences with her striking and skilled performance.

The Cannes Festival of 1954 would prove to be a life-changing event for Kelly. In a brief meeting with Prince Rainier Grimaldi of Monaco in connection with a photo essay for French magazine, Kelly proceeded to capture his heart. Rainier finally got to see Grace again on Christmas Day 1955, when Rainier, his priest, and his doctor were invited to dinner at the Kellys' home in Philadelphia. On January 5, 1956, after a whirlwind romance, Rainier and Kelly formally announced their engagement in New York and Monaco.

Kelly and Prince Rainier were married on April 18, 1956, in a short civil ceremony at the royal palace. The next day, they married again in a large formal ceremony at Monaco’s Cathedral of St. Nicholas. For the three-hour public event, watched on television by 30 million people. The new royal couple then set sail on the Prince’s yacht for a lengthy Honeymoon cruise. Shortly after their return, Prince Rainier announced that his consort was pregnant. On January 23, 1957, Princess Grace gave birth to Caroline Louise Marguerite. Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre was born only 14 months later. The birth of a third child, Princess Stephanie Marie Elizabeth, on February 1, 1965, completed the royal family.

Life was much more difficult at the royal palace than Kelly originally imagined due to cultural differences and Rainier’s difficult family. In 1960, her father died which left Princess Grace grief-stricken. In 1964, Alfred Hitchcock offered her the lead in the film Marnie, but although she was interested in returning to work, the disapproval of her husband and Monaco's public forced her to turn him down. She proceeded to have several miscarriages, which further impeded her happiness. Nevertheless, Kelly did not hesitate to become involved in her official duties. She succeeded her husband as president of the American Red Cross and established several charities—primarily devoted to childcare and improving the situation for Monaco’s youth. On behalf of her work with young people, the U.N. Food and Agricultural Association awarded Kelly the Ceres medal in 1977.

On September 13, 1982, Princess Grace was driving Stephanie back to the Palace in Monaco and had a stroke behind the wheel. She lost control of the car and it plunged off the road down a steep embankment. Stephanie suffered serious injuries from the crash and Kelly, critically injured, fell into a coma. Stephanie survived, but Kelly died the next day when Rainier, Albert, and Caroline decided to remove her life support.

Biography
Recommended Reading
Grace by Robert Lacey
Those Philadelphia Kellys with a Touch of Grace by Arthur Lewis
Grace, The Secret Lives of a Princess by James Spada