Princess Grace Kelly died on September 14, 1982 after suffering a stroke and suffering a car accident near Monte Carlo.
Before she became European royalty, Philadelphia native was a prolific actress. She was best known for Alfred Hitchcock’s The Rear Window and Dial M, but she appeared in 11 films in her acting career – she won an Academy Award, caught thieves, and caught dozens of live theater productions.
Already a common name, Princess Grace attended the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955, where she was introduced to the Prince of Monaco along with Wind Actress Olivia de Havilland. The couple married in April 1956, and Princess Grace became her gentle Highness, Grace of Monaco, before leaving her acting career.
Princess Grace and Prince Rainier then welcomed their three children together. Princess Caroline in 1957, Prince Albert in 1958, and Princess Stentany in 1965. Princess Stephanie was in the passenger seat at the time.
“During the day, a week, I’m not only thinking about myself, but many people still remember her.
Here’s what you need to know about Princess Grace Kelly’s death and the legacy she left behind.
How did Princess Grace Kelly die?
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Princess Grace experienced a stroke while driving near Monte Carlo and later died at Monaco Hospital from injuries and more severe cerebral hemorrhage.
On the morning of September 13th, 1982, Princess Grace and her 17-year-old daughter, Princess Stephanie, entered her British Rover 3500 and drove from the summer home of the French Rock Angels to their home in Monaco.
While on the winding road of the cap dial, Princess Grace lost control of the car, rolled over 100 feet below the embankment, repeatedly flipping over, according to the New York Times, and exploded into flames at the bottom. After the crash, Princess Grace was reportedly suffering a stroke behind the wheel, and as her daughter told the Guardian in October 2002, she tried to pull the handbrake to prevent the crash.
French police reported that neither Princess Grace nor her daughter were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, according to the New York Times, and the accident was very serious, and Princess Grace, as she told the Guardian, was thrown into the back seat of the car. The passenger side door was completely destroyed and the young princess had to be removed from the vehicle via the driver’s door.
The former actress and her daughter were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Princess Stephanie’s illness included fractures, three neck fractures and a crushed collarbone, while Princess Grace suffered from broken femurs, collarbones and ribs.
While in the hospital, Kelly experiences a second brain hemorrhage, which ultimately leads to her death.
When did Princess Grace Kelly die?
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Princess Grace passed away on September 14, 1982 as a result of injuries the day before in a car accident.
After the accident, she and Princess Stephanie were taken to Monaco Hospital, where in the middle of the night, according to the New York Times, Princess Grace’s health was “deteriorating” according to the Monaco government’s announcement. “After all, all the treatment possibilities were exceeded,” the announcement read.
More than 30 years after Princess Grace’s death, her son, Prince Albert, spoke about how the family treated her death. In a 2017 interview with Graham Bensinger about the depths, Prince Albert said the family had hours by Princess Grace’s side at the hospital before the doctors decided they would not survive the injury.
“It was a very shocking moment. You don’t really know what to think. Of course, you think things are trying to improve. It’s not as bad an accident as you thought. “It wasn’t until late that night that it became clear that the outcome would not be good.”
Where did Princess Grace Kelly die?
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Princess Grace passed away at Monaco Hospital.
According to the New York Times, she never regained consciousness after the car accident and was allowed to live for several hours until it was determined that she could not do anything to save her.
How did Princess Grace Kelly’s family react to her death?
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Princess Grace’s unexpected death affected all members of her family. In a 2017 interview with Graham Bensinger, Prince Albert said his father never recovered from his mother’s death. “He was deeply affected and he wasn’t the exact same man he was before the accident,” Prince Albert said.
The princess were all mourning her death, but Princess Stephanie, who was with her mother in the accident, was particularly struggling with the tragedy.
In a 2017 interview with Bensinger, Prince Albert explained that it had been “a very long time” to recover from the accident. “It took her years for her to accept it. She was in that car with her mother and couldn’t pull her out and she couldn’t get a different outcome,” he said.
On her side, Princess Stephanie spoke about the effects of her mother’s death in a 2015 interview with the French publication Point de Vée. “After I got through my anger, I got over the sense of injustice within me. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I said, ‘Wait! Logically, you should have died too,'” she said. “If I had been alive, there was a reason. You have a place in this world. You have to find it.”
In 2017, Prince Albert admitted that it took years to reconcile his mother’s death, but “you will recover thanks to other family members, friends and people who are important to you who can provide comfort.”
When was Princess Grace Kelly’s funeral?
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A week after her death, Princess Grace was mourned by her family, friends, fellow royalty and the Monaco public.
On the morning of September 18, 1982, Prince Rainier and his two children, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert, ran through the city of Monte Carlo from the family palace to the Catedorle de Monaco in Monaco, according to the Washington Post and the New York Times. Their daughter, Princess Stephanie, was unable to attend the funeral as she had recovered from an injury at the hospital.
The funeral at the cathedral (the princess Grace and the prince married in 1956) lasted 75 minutes, attended by hundreds of mourners, and included masses, reading and music.
Princess Grace’s funeral was attended by her brother and two sisters, the wife of President Ronald Regan, Nancy Reagan, Princess Diana, and many other European royals and actor Carrie Grant, to capture the thief co-stars.
A few hours after the funeral, a second Mass was held in honor of Princess Grace, with 28,000 residents of Monaco. She was then buried in the royal cellar behind the main altar of the cathedral following the Washington Post.
What is Princess Grace Kelly’s legacy?
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Princess Grace has left a long-standing legacy from her Hollywood career to her elegant fashion sense and her philanthropy.
The Oscar-winning Princess is best known for her film roles, from her traits in Hitchcock films to her film roles that earn her place as “Hitchcock Blonde” to her theatrical productions.
“40 years from now, she still captures people’s imagination,” Prince Albert told people in 2022. “She was able to capture the imagination and attention of some younger generations.
Princess Grace’s charming style continues to have a huge impact today, inspiring fashion decisions for celebrities, other royals and the general public.
According to the New York Times, in 2007, 25 years after her death, Princess Grace’s children displayed hundreds of personal belongings.
The exhibition took place in the summer of 2007 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, followed by a small exhibition at Sotheby’s in New York. The collection included Princess Grace’s wedding dress, a costume from the 1956 film High Society – her final acting project before becoming royalty, and the iconic mint satin dress she wore in 1955 to embrace Oscars.
The Princess’ philanthropy left a lasting mark in the world, particularly in her support and in her mentoring emerging artists.
During her time as a royal family, Princess Grace spent time improving Monaco’s arts institutions and founded Amade Mondial, a nonprofit dedicated to the well-being of children around the world. Princess Caroline is currently chaired, and Prince Albert is honorary chairperson according to the nonprofit website.
After Princess Grace’s death, Prince Rainier founded the Princess Grace Foundation-USA to honor her wife and her work, and launched the Princess Grace Award to reward those who give back to the emerging talent and community. Decades later, both are still in operation.
“It’s a great satisfaction and it’s also exciting to see her father’s commitment to taking over her mother’s legacy and her passion for supporting the arts community have impacted so many lives,” Prince Albert told people in October 2024.
Princess Grace’s life also influenced countless books and the 2014 biopic, Grace of Monaco, with Nicole Kidman in the lead role.