From just a beautiful girl, Grace Kelly became a super actress – an Oscar winner. She is a global fashion icon. A woman who handles millions. She plays hard. And he negotiates even harder. However, her decision to marry a playboy prince abruptly ended her career. When she died, Grace Kelly’s will revealed that she had only $ 10,000 and a dilapidated house in Ireland. What happened to her millions?
In Grace Kelly’s Missing Millions, which debuts on Viasat History today at 10:10 p.m., financial expert Gemma Godfrey tries to find out how much the actress has earned during her acting career, whether she had hidden assets and whether has fallen victim to the double standard of women in Hollywood.
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Photo: Getty Images
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Did the difficult relationship with her father cost her a lot? What was the real cost of abruptly ending her career? How much money did she make for the film studios? And how – even after her death – does her name and image still generate revenue?
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Gemma Godfrey
Photo: Viasat History
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From her childhood in Philadelphia to her death in Monaco and beyond, this film reveals the truth about Grace Kelly’s missing millions.
At the height of her Hollywood career, she attracted millions of fans. Everyone wants to look like her and that’s why she makes a lot of money. Some estimate that Grace Kelly earned about $ 100 million, making her one of the richest women in America. However, with her marriage to the playboy prince, she abruptly ended her career. And after her death, it turns out that she has almost nothing left.
Grace was born into a wealthy family, but her will, signed in 1975, shows that her assets in America are worth only $ 10,000. Grace’s mother, who died years later, owns $ 2 million.
Kelly is not on good terms with her father, and she is headstrong, so she decides to turn her back on the family fortune and earn her own money. After a short and successful career as a model, she quickly conquered Hollywood: at just 23 years old, she already starred in “High Noon” alongside Gary Cooper. Following is a contract with the MGM studio.
Grace receives $ 750 a week, and if she makes three films a year, a $ 20,000 bonus. So in 7 years she is expected to earn $ 273,000. After winning an Oscar for “The Country Girl”, her income increased to $ 250,000. However, they are missing from her will.
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Photo: Getty Images / Guliver Photos
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She discovered her prince in Cannes in 1955 and everything changed. Maybe she thought that marrying a real prince would turn her life into a fairy tale. She was wrong: this marriage did not end with a long and happy life. And why did Grace’s decision to marry Prince Rainier and become part of the royal family of Monaco cost her millions?
The wedding turned out to be expensive: Grace has a dowry, $ 2 million. It is estimated that $ 1 million was paid for by Grace’s savings, and the other was taken from her future inheritance. She does not want to ask her father to pay her dowry, and because she pays a large part of it herself, it significantly damages her personal fortune gained from working as an actress and model. As a princess, however, she should have had access to untold wealth.
Grace gave birth to Rainier’s three children – Carolyn, Albert, Stephanie.
To enter the shoes of a royal person, however, meant to take on a very different role. As a movie star, Grace enjoyed great freedom. She had friends and intimate partners, but being a princess meant suppressing her own desires and serving the royal family.
Grace Kelly looked trapped in a golden cage. She wanted to return to the spotlight in Hollywood, but the royal family did not allow her because her “trademark” had already been awarded to Monaco. Every rich man or woman wanted to live there.
When Grace died in 1982, at the age of 52, after an accident, the whole world was in shock. According to her will, she has very few possessions. What she had was transferred to her children, the royal court of Monaco and for charity.
The Princess Grace Foundation, which helps sick children and young artists, continues to generate millions for charity for many years after her death. The proceeds come from licensing Grace Kelly’s name and image to luxury brands. So, on the other hand, she ultimately leaves a great legacy: iconic films, the memory of her grace and a successful charity.
The narrators
From a former adviser to Arnold Schwarzenegger and the UK government to a business expert on Good Morning Britain and Sky News, Gemma Godfrey is the backbone of this documentary and takes us through Grace’s story from beginning to end. Gemma is joined by Dr Lucy Bolton, a historian at the University of London, with a wide range of interests in the field of Hollywood celebrities, fashion and celebrities. Also helpful are Tracy Martin, a respected expert on antiques, modern collectibles and fashion, and Susan Rumfit, one of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
The film combines incredible archives, analyzes and interviews to immerse the viewer in the finances of Grace Kelly, which reveals a smart business woman and philanthropist with a long-term vision. A wealth of new stories and events shed light on Grace, Hollywood and her incredible life – from a difficult childhood in Philadelphia to the golden cage in Monaco, say the TV channel.
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