Women’s History Month
Grace Kelly: Actress, Princess, Icon, Philanthropist
“...I think that women can do anything they decide to do”
Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of women, to reflect on their impact, and to honor their contributions that have shaped the world.
To this day, Grace Kelly is admired for her acting achievements and her contributions to fashion, but her true impact is the legacy of her philanthropic work. She used her influence as Hollywood royalty and then as Princess of Monaco to bring awareness to, and support women’s empowerement, child welfare and racial equality, among many other causes close to her heart.
Grace Kelly was raised in a very competitive environment. For the rest of the Kelly family, this translated into athletics and politics, but for Grace, her ambition was for the stage and later, philanthropy. She made her own way in the world, never taking any privilege she had for granted, and made sure to uplift those around her whenever she could.
Although it was for The Country Girl that she earned an Academy Award for “Best Actress”, her role as Lisa Carol Fremont in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window seems to more closely resemble her; mirroring her complexity and dimension as an individual. Lisa Fremont was a socialite and woman about town, but she was so much more. She was intriguing and real. She’s someone who is kind to everyone and sees the beauty in everything. More importantly, she is driven. Like her character Lisa Fremont, Grace Kelly had poise, intelligence and agency.
She retired from acting to pursue life as a royal, a wife and mother. She took these new roles seriously. She became dedicated to children’s causes and to supporting the arts. She founded AMADE Mondial in 1963 to protect the rights and help the development of children across the world. She then established the Princess Grace Foundation in 1964 to support local artisans. She worked to connect with and revitalize the Monte Carlo Ballet, and she made sure the principality’s remaining Belle Époque architecture stayed standing. As part of her ongoing legacy, the Princess Grace Foundation USA continues to support performing artists in America.
Our premier fragrance, Promenade Sur Le Rocher was named after the rock promontory upon which the Prince’s Palace of Monaco sits. It’s meant to represent the journey Grace Kelly took to becoming Princess Grace of Monaco. However, rock could easily be a metaphor for Princess Grace’s tenacity, unwavering dedication and strength of character. During her lifetime, she made the world a better place through her art, her generosity, and her pursuit of beauty and enriching the lives of others. Her influence endures and her famous words can serve as a call to action to everyone:
“I would like to be remembered as someone who accomplished useful deeds, and who was a kind and loving person. I would like to leave the memory of a human being with a correct attitude and who did her best to help others.”
Shop Grace de Monaco fragrances, silks and home accessories inspired by Princess Grace’s philanthropic legacy
