You might know Grace Kelly as the Hollywood icon who became a princess, but her path to love wasn’t always a fairy tale. Growing up, Grace often felt overshadowed by her siblings, especially her older sister Peggy, in a household where affection wasn’t handed out easily. Her father, John—a former Olympic medalist—and her mother, Margaret—a champion swimmer—didn’t exactly shower the family with love. As Grace once reflected, “We were always competing for everything—competing for love.”
Searching for Love Amidst Family Challenges
Grace’s childhood wasn’t exactly a bed of roses. She had three siblings, and her parents weren’t exactly the warm, hugging types. Her dad seemed to favor Peggy, and Grace often felt left out. “Anything that Grace could do, Peggy could always do better,” her father once boasted to a reporter. It’s no wonder that Grace carried this longing for love into her adult life, where she sought it in Hollywood.
From Hollywood to the Heart
In 1953, Grace found herself swept up in a whirlwind romance with none other than Clark Gable, her co-star in Mogambo. The age gap—28 years—didn’t seem to bother her at first. But as Sloan De Forest, author of Dynamic Dames: 50 Leading Ladies Who Made History, points out, “Grace thought it would last. But he was old enough to be her father.” When their romance ended, Grace was devastated. It was clear that she was searching for something more—someone who could truly fulfill her desire for love and stability.
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Unattainable Hearts
Grace’s pattern of dating older, often married men, continued. She even started a relationship with Ray Milland, her co-star in Dial M for Murder. This nearly cost Ray his 20-year marriage. As Sloan admitted, “Ultimately, these relationships were based more in fantasy than reality. There was little chance that these men were going to divorce their wives, marry Grace, and live happily ever after.”
But Grace’s happily ever after did eventually come when she met Prince Rainier Grimaldi of Monaco in 1956. “Grace felt that he would be a good father, and that was very important to her,” says Jay Jorgensen, author of Grace Kelly: Hollywood Dream Girl. While their courtship was a whirlwind, Grace’s transition to royal life wasn’t always smooth. Moving to Europe and having three children with Prince Rainier came with its own set of challenges.
Grace’s Royal Life
“Their courtship had been a whirlwind, but when she arrived in Monaco feeling constantly judged, it was a dash of cold water in the face,” Sloan admitted. Grace eventually left Hollywood behind to focus on her family. Before her passing in 1982, she reflected on her life, saying, “I did enjoy and take pride in my work as an actress, yet I’m bemused by suppositions that my life since has somehow been less fulfilling.” Clearly, Grace found fulfillment in her role as a mother and princess, proving that sometimes, the fairy tale ending isn’t what we expect.
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