Princess Grace in the Riviera

January 31, 2011

in Uncategorized

The white gloves, the tailored dress, the strappy stilettos and the oversized sunglasses. The silk scarf, the leather purse, the scent of delicate flowers and the unmistakable presence of a lady. Such is the portrait of the women I admire most and charming Princess Grace is among them.

Grace Kelly dressed in elegance.

Grace Kelly was no stranger to the French Riviera. She first arrived as lead actress in Alfred Hitchcock’s “frenchness” film, To Catch a Thief along side 1950′s heartthrob Cary Grant. Sites for filming dot the Côte d’Azur and include shots in Nice, Cagnes sur Mer, and Èze, as well as thrilling high-speed chases in smaller villages such as Le Bar sur Loup and Tourrettes sur Loup, each making the Côte d’Azur the place to be for adventure, luxury, and a touch of danger usually disguised as la femme fatale.

Grace on the beaches of the French Riviera during the filming of To Catch a Thief.

But Grace didn’t become the fairy tale princess until she met her prince charming a few years later while in France during the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Word of her presence in the French Riviera soon lead to an invitation to tour the luxurious palace along the coast of Monte Carlo as well as meet Prince Rainier III of Monaco – a rare honor indeed.
That single encounter between the poised American actress and Prince was to change their lives forever. The two began secretly exchanging letters despite being worlds apart: Grace in Hollywood, Prince Rainier in Monaco, Grace an Academy Award winning actress, Rainier heir to the Grimaldi throne. The following December, Rainier visited the United States and after only three days with Grace and the Kelly family, Prince Charming proposed – Grace was to become Princess of Monaco.

Becoming Princess

History has been kind to Grace, accentuating her elegance, charm and luck. The paparazzi loved her just as much as every little girl aspiring to be a princess. The story of a young, common American whisked away to the court life of luxury by her dashing foreign prince was headline news for the months surrounding the wedding. The world was enchanted and Monaco as well as the French Riviera experienced a boom of tourism.
The French Riviera was fast solidifying its image as a haven for the vibrant youth full of hopes and dreams with Princess Grace the poster-child. Ironically, it was also to become the site to snatch away her life so tragically short. In 1982, her car lost control over the famous winding Riviera road (the Moyenne Corniche) offering postcard views of what was once Grace Kelly’s playground and the same road scenes from To Catch a Thief had been shot.
Grace Kelly’s legacy lives on. Not only via the impression she’s left upon the world, but also with her beautiful Royal Family (Caroline, Albert and Stéphanie).

I think it’s safe to say that Charlene will gracefully fill the shoes of her mother-in-law.

Earlier this year, Prince Albert announced his engagement to stunning South African olympian Charlene Wittstock who bares a striking resemblance to his fallen mother. This announcement came with much relief as many Monacans feared the Prince would never marry, leaving the fate of the Monaco in the hands of France (France and the Principality of Monaco have an agreement that should there fail to be a Grimaldi heir to the throne, Monaco will cease to be an independent state and become a part of France). Come this summer we should all be witness to what could be one of the most glamourous weddings of our time.