She was born in a prospers Philadelphia family. Though she was a shy child, she will live her life in the public eye. "Don't try to be a hero! You don't have to be a hero, not for me!" "I'm not trying to be a hero..." At the age of 23, her beauty and talent took her to Hollywood. She made eleven films in three and a half years and became one of the most sought-after stars of her time. She worked with Hollywood's most important directors, played opposite its top leading men. "There's nothing quite so mysterious and silent as a dark theater..." Then, at 26, she turned her back on make-believe. But make-believe came true, in a fairy tale shared by the entire world. Her name was Grace Kelly. It became Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco. I don't think Grace really believed that she was going to give up acting when she became Princess Grace from Monaco I think that the reallity of that probably struck her some place in the middle of the Mediterranean after the honeymoon again She took everything so much in her stride nothing seemed to be too much for her Of any name, Grace, could not have been more fitting and even her death, her tragic early death made her enter even more into legend Monaco, a principality of less than five hundred acres on the French Riviera For centuries, the monarchs had held on to their distinctive character, and their pride But, to this world, this place was known as a "playground for the wealthy" and came to enjoy its beauty and its gambling Monaco became a home of young American actress who arrieved in 1956 to be its Princess She brought it fame, her cool beauty her intelligence, and she brought war a sense of purpose Well, this story about the Princess was firmly anchored in reality Reality had its origins back in Philadelphia Competition came easily to the Kelly's here along Kelly Drive named after Grace's father, John B. Kelly they still race in the sport for which Jack Kelly won an Olympic medal A statue elected by the citizens of Philadelphia commemorates that achievement Jack Kelly's father was a bricklayer from Ireland who went on to make a fortune young Jack soon joined the family business: construction and brick making He started his own business and made his own fortune But he always professed pride in his family's humble origins Jack Kelly belived that the world was what you made of it Margaret Majer, who married Jack, had been a model as well as a champion swimmer athlete Margaret and Jack were determined to raise their children in their own way If you are good enough, you're sure to reach the top It was drilled into Kelly children from their earliest years As a family, we were always very close four of us, Peggy, my sister, the oldest our brother Jack, Grace and then myself She was the baby for three and a half years and loved every minute of it Grace, when she was young, she was very shy and a mama's baby There were many times were we had pictures taken that our mother had to lean back away from the camera so Grace would not cry and taken away from her mother she was very sweet and soft, and loved to held and cuddled and kissed, and loved I, on the other hand, and I think my brother and older sister, were more "don't let me" "don't get around me" we wanted to do our own things we always had a place at the shore, when we were young and, at that time, I think we had our best times together we just had a marvelous time and Grace, all her life, loved being by the ocean and the sea Grace and all the family were a competitive family I htink we got that, I know we got that from our mother and our father They stilled into us a deep sense of competition and the love of sports the will of winning, but also taught us how to lose gracefully But the Kelly's didn't intend to lose and there never was a better drillness during the Jack Kelly It was fun, family fun, and it left a special kind of determinaiton This determination didn't matter Grace as much in the sporting field But her determination sooner took another turn She loved sit by the hours and pretend and create situations and say "Lizzie, you do this, and I'll be this" and "I'll be the mother and you'll be the baby" of course, I gave her a hard time a lot of times because I did not want to play her games For Grace, growing up wealthy meant winter sports in Lake Placid It also meant, the best private schools working for causes they believed in started young with modeling it's society fasion benefits But for Grace, this shows meant more than fundraising It was theatre She got most of her love from the theatre my uncle George He was a play writer and he directed plays Very gracious, highly educated person well-read, and very witty and she just was fascinated with all the tails of the stage and the theatre Her uncle George, tell her she was a great example to him He was sensitive and kind, and talented I think of all the men she ever knew rather than going for the "athletic macho type" I think her ideal man was her uncle George My recollections of father and John B. an Jack Kelly were an enourmous man with a tremendous amount of gust, everything up-front everything in the open, moved ahead A nice man, but not a tremendous amount of internal sensitivity Her father believed absolutely the pea that our elder sister was going to be like the big star of the family and succed and he never payed her the attention to the family and his 4 children and she was quiet, observant of the others and adored her older brother John B. Kelly Jr., an also athletic star, great racer her father thought he was great but Gracie just accepted, and I don't think he understood her at all but she adored him and yet, one worders, when you don't get from a parent, what it is perhaps what you need, if that isn't what creates a great deal of the driving in you to go out and become the fullest part of yourself She decided to go to New York, and my mother and father escpecially surprised because she was a shy and retiring girl My mother and father were a little scary of New York and on her own but mother said "Jack, it is not as if she is going to Hollywood or to California" Grace knew that her father didn't think much of an acting career They allowed her to go, to get it out of her system "Let her go, it won't be anything"