Royal fans around the world today remember Princess Grace 38 years on from her tragic death. The former Hollywood star fatally crashed her car while travelling back to Monaco with her daughter, Stéphanie. Grace is best known for transforming the principality from a monarchy that had fallen on hard times to a place of glitz and glamour.
She eventually travelled to Monaco and married Prince Rainier III on April 19, 1956 after having met in the French Riviera while Grace was filming ‘To Catch a Thief’ a year earlier.
Grace and Rainier had three children: Prince Albert, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie.
Although each of them has gone their separate way, the three maintain deep ties to the principality.
While Albert pays tribute to his mother through his rule over Monaco, Caroline remembers Grace through her one true love and passion: the arts.
During the BBC’s documentary ‘Inside Monaco: Playground of the Rich’ filmmaker Michael Waldman caught Caroline just after a performance by Monaco’s National Ballet Company.
About Monaco’s culture, he asked: “Why is it important to you to support it?”
Princess Caroline replied: “I think it’s a right, like education and health.
“It’s a right.
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It has since become world renowned, and now has a 50-strong ensemble of dancers.
Earlier on in the documentary, the company’s former dancer and current director and choreographer, Jean-Christophe Maillot, told the documentary that Grace’s spirit runs through the institution.
He said: “What can I say, without her (Caroline) the company wouldn’t exist.
“It’s her will – in the memory of her mother Princess Grace, that she rebuilt the company.”
Grace’s death rocked the country after her car tumbled down a 100ft ravine, landing in a garden.
It was initially reported that although injured, the princess was in a stable condition.
However, on further tests she was found to be in a much worse condition than previously thought, and sadly passed away a day later at the age of 52.
Despite this, Caroline was quick to share fond memories she shared with both her parents.
When Mr Waldman asked: “Were you an enthusiastic girl? Did you drag your parents to culture?” Caroline replied: “Yes absolutely! Yes.
“I would say ‘you have to see this.’
“They didn’t always adhere to it, but sometimes there were pleasant surprises, yeah.
“And it’s a tradition here and I always like to think that tradition is the transmission of fire and not worshipping of ashes.
“You have to keep on fighting that way, I would think.”
