Do a double-take, and Princess Grace and Princess Diana were similar.
When you think of Grace Kelly, you immediately think of her as the Princess of Monaco more than you do as an American actress. However, most people don’t seem to realise her life and that of Diana, Princess of Wales, were very much alike. Not only were they inspiring, but they paved the way for other women to marry royalty.
While their lives weren’t always glamourous, they did show that anything was possible. So let’s begin with Princess Grace.
From Hollywood Starlet To The Wife Of Prince Rainier
Grace Patricia Kelly was born in 1929 in Pennsylvania, USA. Born into an influential family, Grace auditioned to be a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. While the semester had already started, her uncle, George Kelly, was able to persuade the staff to give her entry. The scene she auditioned with from his film, The Torch-Bearers.
Before her big-screen career took off, Grace focused on theatre and television. However, she didn’t have the ‘vocal horsepower’ for a longtime career as a stage actress.
Grace met Prince Rainier III of Monaco for a photoshoot whilst acting as the delegation for the US during the Cannes Film Festival in April 1955. However, there were delays. Finally, they met in early May 1955 at the Prince’s Palace. The couple dated for a year and were married in 1956. They were married in two ceremonies. One was religious, and one was civil to concur with the rules of the Napoleonic Code of Monaco and the Catholic Church.
Because of her duties as the Princess of Monaco, Grace had to give up her acting career at just 26.
In 1957, they welcomed their first child, Princess Caroline. The heir to the throne, Prince Albert, was born in 1958. The couple’s youngest child, Princess Stéphanie, was born in 1965.
From Lady To Princess
Like Princess Grace, Diana was born into an influential family and the youngest daughter of the 8th Earl Spencer, John Spencer, and his first wife, Frances Roche. Diana had two older sisters, Sarah and Jane a younger brother, Charles. Before her birth, her parents had a son, John, who died after he was born. The Spencer family long had ties to the British Royal Family. She was born on July 1, 1961.
At the time of her birth, Diana’s parents had wished for a son to carry the Spencer name. But, for a week, she was not named before her parents settled on ‘Diana Frances’, named after a distant aunt, Lady Diana Spencer (later Russell). The latter had once been a potential Princess of Wales, and her mother, Frances Spencer, Viscountess Althorp.
Diana grew up knowing the royal family because of her family connections, and on July 29, 1981, Lady Diana Frances Spencer became Her Royal Highness, The Princess of Wales. Not even 12 weeks after the wedding, the announcement came Diana was pregnant. Around the 12-week mark, the Princess of Wales threw herself down a flight of stairs which she later admitted to doing so because she felt ‘inadequate’. After being checked over, it was discovered the child was unharmed. On June 21, 1982, Diana gave birth to a son, Prince William.
About two years later, Diana gave birth to a second son Prince Henry (Harry), on September 15, 1984. She knew her second child was a boy but told no one. Not even Prince Charles knew this. Secretly, he wished for a daughter.
Widely Respected By Their People
Both Princesses were widely respected by their people. They were both extremely passionate about their charity work. Grace became a patron of the Red Cross of Monaco and Rainbow Coalition Children, an orphanage founded by Josephine Baker.
Diana was a patron of numerous charities but was well known for her work with the British Red Cross Anti-Personnel Land Mines Campaign and with AIDs/HIV. Two of the most famous pictures involved her walking through a landmine field and sitting with African children who had AIDS/HIV.
Unlike other royals of the time, Grace and Diana understood what it meant to be a normal human beings as they had experienced the outside world themselves. One example was how the Princess of Wales wanted her sons, William and Harry, to grow up as normally as possible. So she would take them on foreign tours and plan engagements around their schedules so they could attend with her.
Princess Grace also promoted the arts in Monaco and founded the Princess Grace Foundation alongside her husband.
The Husband Cheats
Both royal wives were plagued by their husbands being unfaithful. Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla has always been well-known. However, Prince Rainier III allegedly ended up with three mistresses by the time his marriage to Grace had hit the month mark, according to Livingly. It left her humiliated. The publication also alleges that the Princess had her fair share of flings while married. Whether we believe that is something we’re going to mull over. The outlet alleges that she had affairs with Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.
Diana was also known for her affairs. This includes her most famous one with James Hewitt, who people still believe to this day is the biological father of Prince Harry. However, Hewitt has denied the speculation over the years, saying his fling with Diana happened after Harry’s birth and not before. It has been explained that the Duke of Sussex’s red hair comes from the Spencer bloodline.
Isolation
Both Princess Grace and Princess Diana experienced isolation as royals. Before Lady Di’s marriage to Prince Charles, Grace shared with Diana that the loneliness would only worsen. She was correct, as Diana’s loneliness and need for attention from her husband led to her throwing herself down the stairs while pregnant with Prince William.
Diana later confessed that she had postpartum depression after her first pregnancy and the birth of Prince William.
Awards Named After Them
Grace and Diana were the namesakes of special awards created after their deaths. The Diana Award was founded in 1999, while the Princess Grace Awards are part of the Princess Grace Foundation.
The Diana Award takes notice of young leaders that can change the world, as stated on the website. In addition, the Princess Grace Foundation/Awards takes notice of filmmakers, stage performances, and dance.
Deaths Were Similar
Both Princess Grace and Princess Diana died in car accidents in countries where they were not born.
Grace was driving home to her country home with her youngest daughter, Stéphanie, in September 1982 when the Princess suffered a minor stroke. The car veered off the road, down a steep embankment, which was part of a mountainside. Stéphanie did her best to get control of the vehicle but failed.
The Princess was taken to the Monaco Hospital and placed on life support. She had injuries to the brain, thorax, and fractured femur. In addition, Stéphanie suffered a minor concussion and had a hairline fracture to her cervical vertebra and was not permitted to attend her mother’s funeral due to her injuries.
After Rainier decided to turn off her life support, Grace died the following evening.
Finally, Princess Diana’s death occurred in the early hours of August 31, 1997. The royal, her new partner, Dodi Fayed, their bodyguard, and their driver were attempting to escape the paparazzi when they crashed into a pillar inside the Pont de l’Alma Tunnel. The car was swarmed by paps, eager to get a shot of the dying royal mother-of-two. The photos that were taken have never been released.
The Princess of Wales was rushed to the hospital, where she died despite the doctor’s best attempts. The driver, Henri Paul, was pronounced dead upon being removed from the wrecked vehicle, and Fayed was also pronounced at the scene. Both bodies were taken to the Parisian morgue rather than the hospital. Only the bodyguard survived. The airbags were functioning normally, but it was discovered that Paul had high levels of alcohol in his system. The bodyguard was wearing his seatbelt.
