by Thilo Wydra
At this occasion, a rare photograph was taken of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn together, as the two distinct style icons waited in one of the backstage changing rooms. As the photograph was taken, they exchanged a glance that was reflected in the large mirror behind them.
This was Grace’s final appearance in the West Coast dream factory. It was also her farewell to many of her colleagues.
Her farewell to Hollywood.
From the moment she married, she was no longer Grace Kelly.
The most captivating aspect of Princess Gracia was that she completely embraced Monaco. She did so much for Monaco. She was not only gorgeous, but she had a heart that was as big as this house. We laughed a lot with each other—my God, she had a wonderful sense of humor. She was everything—only not cold. She was very patient. She took great efforts to learn French. She was thoroughly a mother, thoroughly a wife. I can still remember how she sat on the floor and read stories to the children. And whenever she had time, she herself would pick the children up from school. She behaved just like any normal mother.
—Nadia LaCoste, former press chief of the royal palace285
—II. THE LATER YEARS
1956–1976
Monaco: A Prince, Three Children, and a Completely Different Life
So far Grace has moved with the ease of a trapeze artist. However, I wonder whether she may have ended up too high.
—Alfred Hitchcock286
I don’t think that Grace was in love. She didn’t even have time to really fall in love [with Rainier]. [In the past] she was much more in love with other men than with Rainier . . . But between the two there was a great attraction. Even still, I do not know why she decided so quickly to marry him.
—Lizanne Kelly Levine, Grace Kelly’s younger sister287
The year was 1297 and, according to legend, the day was January 8. Francesco Grimaldi knocked on the gates of the medieval fortress that crowned the towering cliff, Le Rocher. It was supposedly late in the evening. Also known as “Malizia” (the malicious one), this Grimaldi, though cloaked in the garb of a Franciscan monk, was descended from a noble Genoan family. Together with his men, he forced his way into the fortress and overpowered the watchmen. The Ghebelline regent, the archenemy of the Grimaldis, was stabbed to death in his bed by Francesco Grimaldi and his cousin Rainier Grimaldi. This is the legend of how a historically Italian family, the Grimaldis of Genoa, came to rule Monaco from this cliff. Their reign has been continuous excepting a few interruptions, which lasted for several decades. Rainier Grimaldi, known as Rainier I (1267–1314), was the first regent. He was seven years older than his impetuous cousin Francesco. A dedicated seaman, Rainier I’s rule was quite brief, because in 1304 the French King Philippe IV named him Admiral of France. Rainier I took off across the sea, and the history of Monaco was henceforth determined by a changing array of Italian and French occupiers and regents. In 1314, during a battle against the German emperor Heinrich VII, Rainier I died a hero’s death, leaving behind three children from two marriages. When he was not waging battle on the sea, he enjoyed the company of women and was known to enjoy the world of carnal pleasures among prostitutes. According to legend, around the turn of the fourteenth century, he supposedly seduced a beautiful young Flemish woman and raped her in the castle garden. Afterward, this woman, in tears, revealed to him that she could command the powers of black magic. She cursed Rainier I and all of his descendants: “No Grimaldi will ever be truly happy in marriage!”288
This is how the legendary and oft-cited “Grimaldi Curse” came into being. Considering the family history of the Grimaldis it seems to come up time and time again.
Francesco Grimaldi carried a sword concealed under his monk’s robes. On the 700th anniversary of the taking of the city, on January 8, 1997, a bronze memorial was dedicated to him, and the statue shows Francesco in his monk’s habit with sword in hand. The memorial is located in the broad square in front of the palace, by the right-hand entrance. The sculpture was created by the native Dutch sculptor Verkade Kees, who now resides in Monaco. Prince Rainier III unveiled and dedicated the bronze memorial to his Grimaldi ancestors.
Before the conquering of Monaco by the Grimaldis, the area had been occupied by the Phoenicians, after which it fell under Roman law. The Christianization of the area occurred circa 100 A.D. However, the first written reference to Monaco is much older than this. The Greek historian and geographer Hectaeus of Miletus wrote about “Monoikos Polis Ligustike” (“Monaco, the city in Linguria”) in the fifth century B.C.289 Even earlier than this Hercules supposedly performed a few of his heroic feats there. Even today, Monaco’s main harbor is called Port Hercule. And it is not an accident that the gallery that runs along the inner courtyard of the palace, which also leads to the throne room and the large, sweeping, marble staircase, is called the Hercules Gallery.
Since Francesco and Rainier’s coup, numerous princes have ruled the area, which stretches two miles along the coast. First was Rainier I and then Charles I—who is considered the first true ruler of Monaco. Later came Jean I, Honoré II, Charles III, and many other princes through to Albert I (reign: 1889–1922). Albert I was extremely beloved by the Monegasque people. He was a deep sea adventurer, a kind of Monegasque Jules Verne—an archaeologist and an oceanographer. With great passion and knowledge, he established one of the great tourist attractions, the Musée Océanographique and its aquariums. This is a colossal, almost monstrous-looking, museum that reaches from the cliff top deep down into the sea. Understandably perhaps, Albert I ran himself into extensive debt. The royal line continued through to Rainier’s grandfather Louis II (reign: 1922–1949), Rainier III (1949–2005), and now finally Albert II, who inherited the throne on March 31, 2005, and was crowned on July 12, 2005.
The American writer Somerset Maugham, who owned a villa on the wealthy Cap Ferrat peninsula not far from Monaco, once made the following barbed quip about the principality: “A sunny place for shady people.” The subtext to Maugham’s quote has been attached to the city-state for many decades, despite the years of efforts, particularly under the reign of Prince Albert II since 2005, to create a much friendlier, brighter, and cleaner image for Monaco.
This sunny place, which among others has the nickname “Manhattan on the Mediterranean,” covers an area of less than one square mile. Thus, it is smaller than both New York’s Central Park and Munich’s English Garden. (Today the principality measures exactly 0.78 square miles. The actual land mass has increased a little between the 1970s and the 2000s due to concerted efforts to increase the area by extensions into the sea, such as the small front part of the Larvotto coastal district with the Grimaldi Forum, a congress and conference center that was built in the 1990s. Another recent project has involved the relatively new western city district of Fontvieille with its heliport and rose garden, as well as the new parts of the harbor at Port Fontvieille.)
Because of the limited land area, new high-rises are increasingly being constructed in Monaco, and after the Vatican in Rome, Monaco is the second smallest country in the world. Situated between Nice and the nearby border to Italy, the principality has a population of 30,400 residents. Of this number, about 7,500 are native-born Monegasque, making them only about 17 percent of the actual population. The rest of the residents in Monaco are primarily French—which comprise the majority at 47 percent—Italian, English, Portuguese, Swiss, and German. The city is divided into ten districts. Two of the most famous districts are Monte Carlo, with its casino, opera house, and the Hôtel de Paris; and Monaco Ville, which contains the Rock and the old city. In Monaco Ville one can also find the palace, St. Nicholas Cathedral, and the Oceanographic Museum. Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world with penthouse apartments selling for over $135,000 per square yard. It is the most expensive real estate there is.
As a longtime purveyor to the court claimed, “We enjoy many advantages here in Monaco. We have very little crime—security is the highest law here—we enjoy a high quali
ty of life. Thus, we naturally have the most expensive real estate.”290
Monaco is the seat of an archbishop who answers directly to the Holy See, and thus the state church is Roman Catholic. St. Nicholas is the country’s cathedral, located high upon Le Rocher, the cliffs. Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III were married here on April 19, 1956. Approximately 90 percent of the Monegasque people are Catholic, and 6 percent are Protestant. In addition, the principality is home to both Orthodox and Jewish minority groups.
Independent since 1489, Monaco has been a constitutional monarchy since 1911. The current constitution was passed on December 17, 1962, and it was substantially expanded and revised on April 2, 2002. One of the most significant changes for the country was to the critical Paragraph 10, the article that stipulates the royal succession. In the past, the throne would pass to the first direct, legitimate offspring of the prince, or else a male successor of the same status. But now, if a prince has no offspring, his brothers and his sisters, as well as their offspring, could take the throne. If an heir to the throne abdicates, his descendants automatically take his place.
A potential successor to Prince Albert would be his older sister, Princess Caroline, followed by her oldest son Andrea. After that, in theory, Albert’s other nieces and nephews—his sisters’ children—would come into question. The 1918 regulations required that the small principality would fall under the governance of its larger neighbor, France, should no Grimaldi successor exist to take the throne. This was abolished on April 2, 2002, through a second Monegasque-French accord. Now, even if the Grimaldi line dies out, the principality of Monaco will remain a sovereign, autonomous, independent state.
However, when Grace married Prince Rainier, six years prior to the passing of the constitution in December 1962, the old statute from 1918 was still in place. A direct successor had to be born. Rainier had to ensure the succession of the Grimaldis and, through him, the independence of his state. Not insignificantly, his people expected this of him. This explains the fertility test that Grace had to go through. Either way, the newly married couple was under great pressure.
Grace Kelly left her homeland on the morning of April 4, 1956. At Pier 84 of the foggy New York harbor, the SS Constitution was docked. This was the ocean liner that would take her across the Atlantic. After a short delay, the liner eventually cast off. Its first destination was Cannes, then Monaco. Her parents and sisters were on board, along with seventy other individuals from her personal social circle, including some of her bridesmaids. Besides the regular passengers on the boat, there were also well over one hundred members of the press. Before the departure, Grace was strongly against the presence of reporters and photographers on board the ship. The atmosphere of the press conference held shortly before the sailing of the liner had bordered on hysteria, and in the midst of this, despite all the tension and uproar, Grace had stood, quiet and poised. Morgan Hudgins, the press agent for MGM Studios, helped Grace deal with the undesired journalists on the ship. The eight days on the ocean liner were perhaps her last days of true freedom, regardless of any serious reflection or melancholy caused by quarreling and a hesitation about what would come next. However, there was still no palace protocol. With her friends, she played charades, as they had loved to do in New York. Of all things, she wore an Oleg Cassini gown of white lace. Champagne, Grace’s favorite drink, flowed freely.
The Americans had mixed feelings about letting her go. They were losing their Hollywood star but gaining a Princess of American heritage—an American icon as a member of the European ruling class.
She embodied the dream of so many American girls and young women. Her ascent to royalty contributed greatly to the iconization of her that had already begun even before her marriage.
The Constitution reached Monaco on April 12, 1956, at 9:30 a.m. On his new ship, Deo Juvante II, the prince met his fiancée out on the water. (The boat’s name was Monaco’s own Latin motto (“With God’s Help”); on the Grimaldi coat of arms, the motto is printed under the red and white shield, which is held by two monks carrying swords.) Eight days had passed since Grace Kelly’s departure from New York. Grace changed boats, crossing a gangplank from the large SS Constitution, which because of its size and depth could not enter the harbor, to the Deo Juvante. She carried her poodle, Oliver—a gift from Cary Grant—who was ornamented with a white bow, from which dangled a long white leash. Somewhat awkwardly, Grace and Rainier merely shook hands: “Carrying her poodle Oliver, Grace walked across the gangway. Rainier extended his hand to her—they did not really know what they should do. Thus, there was a handshake. It was laughable. Grace held Oliver with one hand, and with the other, she held the Prince’s hand. If the Prince had hugged her, poor Oliver would have been squished. The entire world waited for a kiss. Instead, there was a ‘Hello, welcome to Monaco’—totally unromantic.”291 This account was given by her friend and bridesmaid Judith Balaban Quine. People stood around the edge of the harbor, calling, waving, taking pictures. A twenty-one gun salute was given, and a water plane dropped thousands of red and white carnations (the national colors of Monaco) from the sky. Yet on board the Deo Juvante as it entered the harbor, Grace could hardly guess what would happen to her over the approaching days, weeks, months.
Her voyage on the SS Constitution was a journey into the unknown. Grace did not really know what to expect in the Monegasque principality on the Riviera. Her few previous stays there had each been very brief. She did not know either the country or its residents, nor did she speak their language. In the end, her step was also a risk. Now, Grace would play a major role in one of the greatest media spectacles that the world had experienced to date. As she crossed the gangway, between 1,500 and 1,800 journalists and reporters of the international press reacted to the giant white hat of Swiss lace that Grace wore. These reactions ranged from disenchantment to anger. The wide hat brim almost completely hid her face. In addition, Grace wore her trademark white gloves and a long, dark coat with three-quarter length sleeves. Directly in front of the gangway, one of the palace’s dark limousines was parked, waiting on the dock for her and the prince. Everywhere along the roadsides, the Monegasque people stood, waving flags and cheering.
Finally, she had arrived, their future princess and mother of their nation. However, Grace had only arrived in a physical sense—years would pass before her heart and soul would follow.
During the six days between Grace’s arrival and the official marriage ceremony, the couple had numerous official engagements to attend—balls, receptions, appointments, opera performances. Among the invited guests was the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who at this time was already a financially powerful and influential shareholder in the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), the state-controlled company that functioned as Monaco’s largest employer. François Mitterand, then France’s young minister of justice, was also in attendance.
Maree Frisby Rambo, one of Grace’s bridesmaids and an old friend, described this time: “There were more photographers there than Monegasque natives. And all of them were waiting for someone to break a leg so that they had something to write about. It was deathly dull. They were so happy when all of my jewelry was stolen, since they finally had a story.”292
On April 11, 1956, at 11:00 a.m., the legal marriage of His Majesty Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly took place in the throne room of the 220-room royal palace of Monaco. Since her departure from New York, Grace had lost thirteen pounds. The stress and tension of the previous days and weeks had caused her to lose her appetite. On that April 18, she seemed very tense. She did not smile even once during the marriage ceremony. She was nervous, and her inner turmoil was evident as she sat on one of two upholstered chairs. Prince Rainier’s chair was a good yard away from hers. She had dark rings under her eyes, surely caused by the strain of the previous days.
That afternoon, at 4:00 p.m., the royal palace held a reception for the Monegasque people. Sparkling wine was served, and a large buffet was set up.
&n
bsp; On this day, the bourgeois American actress and Hollywood icon became the Monegasque princess. A day of metamorphosis. It was as if the shift in her identity was completed then. She was, henceforth, Her Majesty Princess Gracia Patricia of Monaco. Many of her American friends would talk about her last, great role, the role of her lifetime.
Grace’s friend Judith Balaban Quine described the official marriage ceremony: “She came into the room, and I thought that she had never looked so frightened or tense. Normally she was always herself, but not there. She clearly did not feel comfortable in her new skin. I noticed it because whenever she was nervous she would always pull on her fingers, and she did this in spite of her gloves, without a break. Very odd.”293
Friend Robert Dornhelm described it similarly: “Thus, she accepted this offer, undertaking a role that would last the rest of her life. She very much saw this as a big, new job: she had to act, put on make-up, fix her hair, prepare herself, memorize her lines, talk at receptions, represent the country. She herself saw this as a challenge and accepted this job because she told herself that this way she was set with work for life. It was the ultimate soap opera role that never ended and was always there. It was a golden cage. Of course, she had the security that she would always have work, but it was monotonous work and not enriching. There was stagnation. It was always the same. Variations of the same cover story, whether she had gained weight, if she looked as if she had drunk too much, or if the children were running amok. This was not very fulfilling in the long run.”294
The official marriage ceremony in the throne room was filmed by four French television cameras as well as one local one for the new, local television channel “Télé Monte Carlo” (TMC). This ceremony, as well as the “Fairytale Wedding of the Century,” held on the following day, April 19, 1956, was broadcast around the world.
